Scarlett and the Blades
by Puff the Ninja
Summary: As Mari recovers from her traumatizing experience with Haggar and the Druids, the paladins learn of the Galran resistance group, The Blade of Marmora. Alliances are formed and a new member is added to the team: a telepathic preteen alien with a knack for inventing. **Rated T to be safe!**
1. Chapter 1

**A/n:** Hello everyone! I'm back with the 4th story of this VLD OC series, _Scarlett and the Blades_! As the title and description implies, there will be a new character introduced into the story. And we're moving into season 2 now finally. I'm so excited!

For those of you who are new here, feel free to check out my first 3 stories in this series: _Rise of Voltron_ , _Turmoil Begins_ , and _Fights and Flights_. Mari's profile is also on my profile page, in case you're ever interested in getting to know her a bit better. I also post drawings for this series on my tumblr **pufftheninja** if you'd like to see my artwork of OC and canon characters.

But without further ado, here's _Scarlett and the Blades_! (Am I the only one that thinks this title sounds like a band name?)

**Shoutout to **Ishval** and **megane-chan** for leaving reviews last time! Thank you so flipping much! I love hearing from ya!

 **megane-chan:** I know right! xD Hunk's such a good boy. _Scarlett and the Blades_ really stuck with with me when I was brainstorming title ideas lol. I thought it sounded so catchy, so I'm glad you like it :D

 ****I do not own Voltron: Legendary Defender!**

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Bone-chilling, heart-stopping, tear-jerking nightmares were something that hadn't seriously afflicted Mari since she was a little girl. When she was younger, she would always skitter into Shiro's room at the dead of night with watery eyes after having bad dreams about snakes biting her or monsters clawing at her. She'd jump into his bed without any warning, roughly jolting him awake and knocking the air out of him as she landed on him. Then she'd burrow under the covers and curl up next to him for warmth and protection. And Shiro, being the patient and kind older brother that he was, would let her stay with him for the rest of the night, rubbing her back gently and sometimes singing softly to help her fall back to sleep.

Thinking back on it, she hadn't done that since she was six. After Shiro's accident, she had stopped seeking him out for comfort after she had a nightmare. Instead, she would just go to her parent's room and sneak under the covers of her dad's side of the bed.

But now, years later, Mari found herself standing hesitantly in the doorway of her brother's room on the Castle of Lions, her dark hair a mess and a pillow hugged tightly to her chest. She had screamed herself awake just minutes ago, violently shaking herself out of a nightmare in which Shiro hadn't saved her and she was still stuck on that table in Haggar's lab. The witch had been hovering over her, using her as a human pincushion and plunging long and thin needles deep into the flesh of her arms and torso. Then one of her lackeys had appeared with a wicked-looking power saw that had a jagged glowing blade. He activated it and the sharp knives emitted a terrifyingly loud screech as they whirled dangerously over her thigh. In one swift downward movement, he thrust it into her leg, mauling the fabric of her space suit and easily cutting deep into her flesh like it was made of butter. That's when she had jolted awake in a cold sweat, her breath coming out in ragged gasps and the ghost sensations of the needles lingering in her body.

Mari had sat there in her bed for a while to calm her nerves and regain her composure, but the emptiness of her room was unsettling. In the silence she could hear the faint whispers of Haggar's cruel laughter echoing off the walls, and for a moment she swore she had seen a pair of familiar glowing golden eyes peering out at her from the darkest corner of the room. Without a second thought, she had grabbed her pillow and leaped out of bed, making a break for the door and escaping into the brightly lit hallways. She had instinctively sprinted for Shiro's bedroom, nearly punching the panel next to his door to open it, only to realize that the room was empty.

Squinting through the darkness for any sign of Shiro, Mari took a cautious step inside. His bed was neatly made with his pajamas folded on top of the covers, and his Black Lion slippers sat nicely at the foot of the bed. But other than that, the room was completely devoid of life.

 _That's right, he's still in the cryo-pod_ , she recalled, and she let out a disappointed sigh. Shiro wouldn't be awake until morning. And the Castle of Lions was still in sleep mode, so everyone else was bound to be dead to the world by now…meaning she had to make it through the remaining hours until dawn by herself.

A cool breeze from the halls washed over her, making the hairs on her neck rise. She nervously peeked out the door and glanced up and down the vacant corridors for anything that could have caused the movement of air, and she vaguely wonder what the chances were that the ten thousand year old ship was haunted. Maybe the Castle was just naturally drafty, but heck, if aliens existed, then maybe ghosts did too. A shiver ran down her spine and Mari quickly shook that thought from her head.

Quiznak…She really didn't want to be alone right now. Who would be the least irritated with her for disturbing them in the dead of night?

All the boys were immediately out. The idea of her sleeping in any of their rooms with them sounded so awkward and uncomfortable. Besides, Lance needed his "beauty rest" and Hunk was too heavy of a sleeper to wake up with just a light knock to his door. Keith was an early riser, but Mari imagined that even he'd be grouchy if he was woken up at this hour. Plus she felt like he'd decline her request anyways. And Coran?…No. Just…no.

Allura and Pidge were her only options left. But Allura had seemed miffed with her after their dinner discussion about the possibility of there being good Galra in the empire, so it probably wasn't the best idea for her to go crawling back to the princess because of torture nightmares. Pidge on the other hand wasn't a heavy sleeper and she stayed up to ungodly hours of the night. Mari wouldn't be surprised if she was still awake right now, in fact.

So, Pidge it was.

Shuffling down the halls as quietly as she could, Mari stopped in front of the Green Paladin's door and knocked twice. She was met with silence though, and for a moment she wondered if Pidge was actually asleep for once or if she was just holed up in the Green Lion's hangar again. But the door opened with a soft swish within the next tick, and she was greeted by a sleepy Pidge.

"Oh…Mari," she spoke through a yawn. She wore her pajamas yet her glasses still rested on the bridge of her nose. "I was just about to hit the sack. What are you doin' up?"

"U-Um…" Mari shuffled from foot to foot, suddenly feeling sheepish. "I-I just had a nightmare. And I know it wasn't real and it's stupid to be scared of it, but I really don't want to be alone in my room right now. And Takashi is still in the healing pod and I don't think I can ask any of the oth—"

Pidge instantly interrupted her rambling, grabbing her by the wrist and pulling her inside without a word. Her room was an absolute mess compared to Shiro's crisp and empty dorm. There were miscellaneous Altean tools and tech sitting on the floor, dirty clothes were sprawled about, empty water pouches sat along the edge of the bed, and there were these weird trash figures propped against the wall that looked oddly familiar. Stepping over some of the junk, Mari approached them.

"Is—Is that us?" she stammered, gesturing to the garbage sculptures. Her eyes widened as they landed on one in particular. It had bolts for eyes and long uneven strips of black debris layered over a rounded hunk of dented metal. Two stubby pipe-like arms stuck out of the material used for the upper torso and they were positioned upward in a celebratory fashion. "Is that _me_?" she asked pointing to it.

Pidge nodded proudly at them, her eyes twinkling. "Heh heh, yup!"

"Why did you make us into trash people?" Mari laughed incredulously and Pidge grinned.

"I was bored on that junk nebula," she shrugged, beginning to giggle a bit.

"Why did you take them with you though?"

"They're kinda like a home for those little guys."

As if on cue, four little puffball-like creatures—one yellow, blue, green, and pink—peeked over the shoulders of Trash Lance and Trash Shiro, each of them staring at Mari curiously. They had big round and innocent eyes and the mustache-looking markings below them glowed as they chirped in greeting.

"So _these_ are the friends you made while you were lost in space," Mari mused, recalling Pidge's story from dinner. The small aliens hovered closer to her, the green one even nuzzling her cheek. It was so soft and warm and very friendly. "Awww…They're adorable!"

"I know right?" Pidge gushed as the fluffy yellow one sat on top of her head. She pat it's back lovingly before it moved to perch on top of Trash Keith's head, munching hungrily on his mullet.

Expertly picking her way over the mess on the floor, Pidge made it to her bed and began to clear the mattress of her backpack and laptops, carefully placing them on the dresser. Meanwhile, Mari took in the gently glowing string of lights and the many papers Pidge had hung on the wall next to her bed. Some were postcards of the beach, others photographs of her family. But a lot of them were sheets and sheets of coded messages as well as blueprints and notes on Voltron, the Green Lion, and other alien tech. Several large star maps were taped above these, with small X's, O's, and check marks drawn over multiple areas in red marker.

Pidge had been keeping track of the places they had visited and the star systems they had traveled through. She'd been staying up late each night examining Galra data and tapping into enemy transmissions. She was working nearly nonstop to find her family: Matt and Commander Holt.

Once everything had been cleared off, leaving only pillows and blankets on top of the mattress, Pidge gingerly placed her glasses next to her computers on the dresser before flicking the overhead lights off. She hopped into bed and sprawled out on her back, the small party lights casting a soft yellow glow over her. She pat the open space next to her for Mari to join, and she hesitantly laid down next to the younger girl, still hugging her pillow to her chest.

"It's weird seeing you without your glasses on," she commented as Pidge yanked the blankets over them.

"What, do I look bad without them?" the Green Paladin snorted as she burrowed under the covers and poked her head out to peer at Mari with a raised eyebrow.

"No, just different, that's all."

Pidge hummed in thought. "A good kind of different, or a bad kind?"

"The good kind," Mari smiled and Pidge chuckled.

"To be honest, I don't even need them," she admitted, her tone turning sad. "They were Matt's. The Garrison fixed his eyesight and he gave them to me before he left for Kerberos…I like to wear them cuz they're a piece of him, you know?"

Mari whispered a melancholy "yeah" in understanding and Pidge turned on her side to snuggle closer to the older girl.

"Whenever I had nightmares, Matt would always let me sleep with him," she murmured fondly, and a snigger escaped her lips as she added, "I'd end up kicking him out of his bed too. He'd always wake up on the floor."

"Is that a heads-up that I might end up on the floor by morning?" Mari inquired and Pidge gave her a wry smirk.

"Maybe."

A huff of laughter escaped her lips. "Takashi used to do the same thing," she said, smiling at the memories. "Letting me in his bed when I had a nightmare, I mean. …I haven't done that in years though."

Pidge hummed in response before going quiet for a long while. For a moment, Mari thought she had fallen asleep until she suddenly sniffled, her voice cracking as she barely uttered, "I really miss him, Mari."

Her heart hurt at the sound of Pidge's stifled sobs. Pidge was always so sassy, so tough and stubborn. It was strange seeing her so vulnerable like this, shaking and desperately brushing away the tears in her eyes, and Mari didn't like it one bit. She released her hold on her pillow and wrapped her arms around the smallest paladin, hugging her close.

"You'll find them, Pidge. Both Matt and your dad," she promised her earnestly. "You've been working so hard for this, there's no way you won't. You just have to keep trying."

Pidge took a shaky breath. "I know," she croaked, the tears already subsiding as she pushed away the negative thoughts and emotions. "I won't give up on them. I just…really want to find them already. The information we got from Sendak's memories didn't have anything about prisoners or labor camp locations, and that Galra base had nothing useful. I have no leads on where my dad or Matt could be. Ugh, I feel like I'm at a stupid impasse!"

She rubbed her eyes tiredly in frustration and Mari soothingly rubbed her back. "I know it's slow going, but I'm positive you'll find something soon. You just gotta be patient," she murmured reassuringly. "Patience yields focus. And being focused produces results."

"Heh," Pidge chortled dryly, her eyes bright as a small grin tugged at the corners of her mouth. "You sound just like your brother."

Mari made an offended sound in the back of her throat and released Pidge of their hug. "I do not!" she insisted as she felt her cheeks grow warm. "Besides, that was something our dad taught us, so if anything I sound like him."

Beaming widely now, Pidge flipped onto her back again. "If you say so," she drawled playfully and Mari rolled her eyes. "You know, I think you'd make a good older sister."

"You think so?" Mari wondered, genuinely surprised by the comment, and the Green Paladin nodded. "Huh. I never even thought about that."

"You never asked your parents for a little brother or sister?"

"I don't think so, no."

"Shiro was all you needed then, hm?"

"Maybe. That's probably along the lines of what younger me was thinking."

"Huh. Well, I guess it doesn't really matter, cuz you've got a little sister now anyways."

Mari raised an eyebrow at Pidge in confusion. "And who would that be?"

"It's me, stupid!" she chided, snatching up Mari's pillow and whumping her in the face with it. But Mari was too taken aback to be mad at her, and she blinked at Pidge in shock.

"I—I'm like a sister to you?" she inquired, her words faltering.

"Of course," Pidge mumbled, looking sheepish all of a sudden. "We're all like a family now."

Mari felt her face flush again. She'd never had a sister before, the closest girls in her life up until now having only been Jia and Maggie. And her relationship with Pidge had started off so poorly, what with her slapping and yelling at the younger girl back on Arus. She thought for sure they'd end up hating each other. Of course they had made up and they were getting along well now, but since then Mari had always been careful around Pidge, sometimes unsure of what to say or do when she was around her in fear of hitting a nerve. So hearing Pidge admit that she saw Mari as a sister just tickled the older girl pink, and she let out an inaudible sigh of relief.

"We're sisters," she found herself agreeing, a faint smile spreading across her face. "So if we're all like a family and the two of us are sisters, what does that make the others then?"

Pidge's eyes sparkled with glee as she replied matter-of-factly, "Well, Shiro's like the dad of our group. Allura's like our cool alien mom and Coran's our weird space uncle. And Hunk, Keith, and Lance are our brothers. Hunk gives good hugs and he's an amazing chef and engineer, Keith's standoffish but he's secretly really caring, and Lance is the sweet and protective jokester of the family."

"Pfft! You've given this so much thought," Mari couldn't help but laugh. "How would you describe us as the sisters then?"

"Mari's the oldest sister and she gets irritated easily," Pidge began slowly. "She's suffered through a lot of painful things and she hides how she's really feeling sometimes because she's afraid of burdening others."

Ouch. Deep down, Mari knew that was the absolute truth, but it hurt like hell hearing someone else say it out loud. As sharp as she was, it was no wonder that Pidge had seen right through her.

"BUT," Pidge was quick to add, noticing the way Mari had winced in shame. "She never lets that get her down for long. She's a kickass fighter and she always bounces back from things that knock her down or scare her…including nightmares. And Pidge is the younger sister who will always be willing to help Mari whenever she needs someone."

Pidge was looking at her through wide and honest eyes that shone in the pale yellow lighting. She was smiling innocently, and it made Mari's heart swell and a lump formed in her throat. Pidge hadn't protested in the slightest when she came to her door asking to stay the rest of the night. She had willingly invited her in and had immediately opened up to her, helping Mari to relax and forget her fears before gently reassuring her. Pidge was bold and clever, but most importantly, she was exceptionally kind to her friends and family.

Blinking back the tears in her eyes, Mari smiled at her gratefully and she took a shaky breath. "Thank you, Pidge," she whispered.

"Pidge is also the smartest of the bunch," the Green Paladin instantly added and Mari rolled her eyes, grinning nonetheless. "And the most tech savvy. And the most inventive. And she—"

"—is the greatest, she is a goddess, we'd be lost without her," Mari intervened with a light laugh and Pidge chuckled.

"I mean, you probably would be," she shrugged in all honesty and Mari ruffled her hair. Pidge hummed contentedly and she curled up closer to her again, her head just barely poking out of the covers. She let out a loud yawn that proved to be infectious as Mari involuntarily yawned as well. They were both comfortable and content cuddled up next to each other under the warm blanket, and they let themselves gradually begin to drift off to sleep.

"G'night, Mari," Pidge slurred just as her eyes slipped shut and her breathing steadily evened out as she dozed.

"Goodnight, Pidge," Mari mumbled before she was pulled into a peaceful, nightmare-free slumber.

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 **A/n:** I posted a picture of Trash Mari on my tumblr if you'd like to see what it looks like lol.

 ****I do shoutouts now, so please feel free to leave a comment/review down below if you'd like to be mentioned in the next chapter! They are much appreciated & encourage me to keep writing this fic :D**

 ****Feel free to check out my tumblr too, which is pufftheninja.**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/n** : Happy Birthday to my favorite paladin and character from Voltron, Keith! He's grown so much since the series started and I am so proud of him! To celebrate, here's chapter 2! Also to celebrate, I drew another group pic (with Mari and Scarlett again) and the basic sketch is now on tumblr. Be on the lookout for the colored version as well.

**Shoutout to **Ishval** for leaving a comment last chapter! I love talking with you so thank you so very much!

 ****I do not own Voltron: Legendary Defender!**

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After a quick breakfast, everyone met in the medical wing to wait the remaining half a varga for Shiro to emerge from his cryo-sleep. They had found him grunting and flinching in his sleep when they had arrived, and the five humans gathered around his pod while the Alteans monitored his vitals from the main control panel.

"Is he okay?" Hunk spoke for all of them as he turned to Allura and Coran anxiously.

"Sometimes the healing process can cause involuntary brain wave reactions," Allura explained, facing him with a sad smile and hopeful eyes.

"He looks like he's having a bad dream," Hunk said, glancing up at their unconscious leader again.

"He got blasted by a space witch and mauled by giant lizards," Keith reminded them with a hint of bitterness in his tone. "What dream could be worse than that?"

"I can think of a few things," Mari muttered without any thought, and Keith grimaced while Hunk winced involuntarily, making her instantly regret having spoken at all. "…Sorry, never mind. Forget I said anything," she sighed quietly, and Pidge sidled up next to her to give her hand a reassuring squeeze.

"You two seem awfully close this morning," Lance piped up from his perch on the steps in the middle of the room, his eyes narrowing at the two girls suspiciously. "What happened?"

"We had a bonding moment," Pidge replied, casting him a smirk.

"Something _you_ wouldn't understand, Lance," Keith grumbled sourly under his breath, and the Blue Paladin immediately whirled on him.

"You never cradled me in your arms, Mullet!" he shrilled, jabbing a finger at the Red Paladin and making him bristle.

"I'm telling you, it did!" Keith insisted, his arms slapping down to his sides and his hands curling into fists.

"It did not! It never happened!""

" _It did_ ," Keith, Allura, Pidge, and Mari exclaimed simultaneously and Lance made an offended sound, his expression one of betrayal at having been ganged up on. But before he could argue any further, Shiro's pod beeped and everyone looked up at it expectantly before scrambling to meet him as he awoke.

Stirring, Shiro groggily pried open his eyes, looking dazed as he took in the people surrounding him. He blinked several times, clearing away the fog that was muddling his mind, and his expression instantly softened as he registered where he was and who was there to greet him. The blue tinted glass separating him from his team dissolved and he felt himself tip forward, his legs feeling like jelly after having spent so much time in the pod. Thankfully, Hunk and Keith were there to catch him, holding him up on his own two feet as feeling quickly began to return to his cold and numb limbs.

"Mornin', Shiro," Lance greeted, an excited grin on his face.

"…Morning, everyone," Shiro replied, his voice a bit scratchy. He awkwardly cleared his throat and shifted his weight off of Hunk and Keith to stand on his own. His eyes flickered over each individual in the room as he mentally counted off each member, and he sighed in relief when he realized they were all accounted for, Allura and Mari included.

"How are you feeling?" Keith asked, his tone gentle as he worriedly hovered next to their leader.

"Much better," Shiro assured, rewarding the Red Paladin with a small smile as he placed a grateful hand on the younger man's shoulder. "Thanks for saving me out there, Keith."

Keith looked mildly embarrassed and he averted his gaze as he instinctively crossed his arms. "It was nothing," he mumbled in reply and Shiro just chuckled.

"Now that Shiro is awake, we can begin discussing our next course of action," Allura piped up, drawing everyone's attention towards her and reeling them back into work-mode. "I think it would be best if we started searching for these allies of Voltron that supposedly remain hidden in the universe."

Her bright blue eyes darted knowingly to Mari, but she said nothing about their potential Galra allies. Surprising them all, Shiro was the one who mentioned it.

"About that," he began slowly, his brow furrowing in concentration. "While I was asleep in the cryo-pod, I—I remembered how I escaped to Earth. Someone helped me get to an escape pod. He put coordinates in my arm and told me to go to them."

"And who was this 'someone' that helped you?" the princess inquired, her tone tight and her jaw set as she awaited his displeasing answer.

"His name was Ulaz. He was a Galra."

* * *

"A little while before you found me, he came to give me medicine and water. He said he couldn't risk freeing me, so I'm wondering if he's doing undercover work," Mari explained to Shiro. They were inside his room now, her hands pressed over her eyes as her brother changed out of his cryo-suit. He had asked to talk to her in private, so she had caught him up on everything he had missed since being put into the healing pods, including her announcement of there being potential Galra allies.

"Maybe," Shiro grunted, and she could hear the ruffling of fabric as he pulled his shirt over his head and bulging chest. "Ulaz was probably doing the same thing."

"Do you think the guy that helped me is a part of the same group that Ulaz is involved with?" Mari wondered as Shiro moved to pull his pants on.

"It's possible."

"Damn it…I should've asked him about it."

"It's for the best that you didn't. You could've blown his cover. At least this way, he might be able to help us sometime in the future from the inside of Zarkon's ship."

Mari huffed softly but didn't argue with him. Shiro was right, as usual. "That still doesn't get us any closer to finding these Galran rebels," she griped and he hummed in agreement.

There was a loud click and the sound of a zipper as Shiro put on his belt and zipped up his vest. "Okay, you can open your eyes now."

She unshielded her eyes and blinked twice before her vision came into focus again. Shiro was standing in front of her and giving her a small grin, his brow raised as he self-consciously carded a hand through the white tuff of his hair.

"You're still so modest when it comes to this kind of stuff," he chuckled out of the blue, and Mari felt her cheeks turn pink.

"What kind of little sister wants to see their awkwardly buff older brother in nothing but his boxers?!" she hissed, her shoulders hunching in irritation.

"'Awkwardly buff?'" he repeated, clearly struggling to stifle his giggles, but she ignored him.

"Everyone already knows everything I just told you. So why did you even ask me to come with you to talk privately?" she demanded. "I hope it wasn't because you just wanted to change in front of me…You're such a pervert."

As expected, Shiro blushed and he instantly lost his composure as he fumbled to defend himself.

"Of course not! I-I am not a pervert and you know that!" he stammered, and Mari couldn't help but laugh at his flustered state. It was so rare to see this side of him. She probably hadn't seen him act this way since he and Adam were dating.

"Okay, okay, I'm just messing with you," she beamed and Shiro let out a reassured sigh. He bounced back quickly and smiled at her, ruffling her hair teasingly with his normal hand and causing her to pout.

"You seem like your usual self," he noted, although a hint of concern remained in his voice. His prosthetic gently cupped the left side of her face and he bent down to be at eye left with her, his smile fading away as he examined her closely. His eyes snapped to her wrist as he held it with his free hand. "Thank God," he whispered to himself finally, practically wilting in relief. "There aren't any physical scars."

Mari bit her lower lip, trying so hard not to think about that lab and all the pain that came with it. Her gaze fell to the floor as Shiro let go of her hand and he frowned.

"But that doesn't mean you escaped unscathed," he murmured, and like a bursting dam, all the memories and nightmares of torture came crashing down on her. She could feel the needles from her dream poking her, the saw blades beginning to dig into her flesh. She could faintly smell the scent of singed hair, and the thought of that orange poison made her skin flush and her chest heave. Clawed hands ghosted along her arm and face, digging into her left cheek.

And Haggar's golden eyes were always, _always_ there. They accompanied every horrible recollection, crawling out from the recesses of her mind. Every time she was cast in darkness, those two glowing orbs were there along with the witch's chilling laughter. Those eyes taunted her, reminding her of what the person behind them had done to her. Reminding her of the pain and humiliation.

Mari couldn't breathe. She couldn't move. She couldn't think about anything except those eyes and the painful sensations afflicting her body all over again. She didn't know when she had started crying, but the tears were overflowing hysterically now as the memories grabbed her and rapidly began to pull her under. Her fear was choking her, threatening to swallow her whole as she teetered on the verge of breaking down. She felt like she was staggering on the edge of sanity and she was going to fall at any moment.

Suddenly, a familiar warmth enveloped her, grounding her. A hand was gently caressing her head, its touch kind and loving and nullifying the bad sensations attacking her body. The weight on her chest slowly receded and she could breathe again, freely sucking in the fresh air. The soft humming of a lullaby from her childhood drowned out Haggar's snickers until they faded completely.

Blinking away the tears clouding her vision, everything came back into focus as Mari regained her senses. She was still in the Castle of Lions, still inside of Shiro's room. She couldn't remember when her knees had buckled beneath her, but she was kneeling on the floor now, her legs feeling like pudding. Shiro was in front of her, holding her close and stroking her hair soothingly, just like he did when she had been afraid of something when they were kids.

"Shhh shhh, you're not there anymore, Mariko," he reminded her, his tone gentle and radiating warmth as he comforted her and tried to calm her nerves. "You're here with me right now. We're still on the Castle. I promise you that you're safe now."

Mari swallowed thickly and took a shaky breath. "I-I keep seeing her eyes…h-hearing her horrible laughter…" Her voice was barely above a whisper, on the brink of breaking. "She's always there in the dark. I can still feel everything she did…It's like she's haunting me!"

"I know," Shiro said, a mixture of melancholy, bitterness, and complete understanding evident in his tone. "I know exactly what you mean. She gets in your mind for a while and just… _torments_ you. But Haggar is light years away from us now. You're safe here. She can't hurt you anymore."

Mari buried her face into his shoulder and shook her head slightly, unable to muster up a response right way. She was so scarred by this experience, more so than she had expected, and she had only been a Galra prisoner for a few hours. How in the universe had her brother survived an entire _year_ of hell with Haggar and Zarkon's other minions and have remained stable in body and mind?

"I-I feel like I'm going insane, Takashi," she murmured finally. "…I wish I was stronger like you."

There was a long pause followed by a soft sigh on his part. He pulled away from her until they were face-to-face again, his hands resting on her shoulders as he continued to ground her. "Mari, I'm not as strong as you think I am," he admitted in all seriousness, his expression sad if not slightly embarrassed. "Honestly, every day since I was captured has been a struggle to keep myself together. There were so many times that I thought about giving up…" He paused, his eyes screwing shut as he took a deep breath to steady himself. When he reopened them, he continued, "Even now, the memories of that time still torment me when I least expect it."

Mari sniffed and gave him an unconvinced frown. "You sure seem to be hiding everything well," she mumbled.

"I have to. A team looks up to their leader for guidance, right? I need to stay focused for everyone else's sakes."

"I guess that's something else we have in common. We both tend to hide how we're truly feeling so others won't worry," Mari said with a dry smile and he let out a humorless huff of laughter.

"I can't argue with you on that," he chuckled. "But even though it seems like I'm always cool and confident and levelheaded, I'm honestly…very _anxious_ in reality. Being the leader of Voltron, the most powerful force in the universe, is a huge responsibility. The lives of billions of people rest in our hands. So when Allura assigned the role of Black Paladin to me—to be the _leader_ of Voltron—I…I was _terrified_. I'm constantly worried about what our next move should be against Zarkon. I'm always scared that I'll mess up and make a wrong decision that will cost the lives of one of my teammates. You, Keith, Hunk, Pidge, Lance, Allura, Coran…I'm so afraid of losing any of you. You don't know how mortified I was when you and Allura were captured."

Shiro was shaking ever so slightly, but his gaze was sharp and as cool as steel as he sighed and carried on, "In the gladiator arenas, I was always thinking of you, mom, dad, Adam, the Holts, Keith. I kept telling myself that I had loved ones to return to, that I needed to survive if I ever wanted to see them again. And now as the leader of Voltron, I'm always thinking of my team and the countless lives that are depending on Voltron to stop Zarkon. I tell myself that I have to stay strong and live to protect them and guide them. The only reason I've managed to survive and endure everything up to this point is because of you guys. You all have been my reason to keep on trying, to keep on fighting.

"I guess what I'm trying to say is, embrace your will, your reasons to fight, Mari. Seek out inspiration and strength from your loved ones. Fight for your friends, fight for your family, fight for those who need help. You're fierce and stubborn and kind, and you've never been one to quit. I know for certain that you'll never let Haggar win this battle. You'll be able to overcome this, and I promise that I'll be with you every step of the way."

He gave her a loving and reassuring smile, hope glittering in his eyes as he waited for her response. Shiro was so kind. He had always been good at comforting and reassuring others. His earnest words held so much power and emotion behind them. He could move the heart of any person he talked to if he really wanted to, and it was a gift that Mari had always been jealous of. But she would always be grateful that he had it. It's what made him a great leader and a great big brother, after all.

Mari looked up at him with relief in her gaze and Shiro's beam widened just a bit. He pulled her into another embrace, letting her relax in his arms as they stayed that way for a while.

"Thank you, Takashi," she whispered and he hummed softly in response.

* * *

 ****I do shoutouts now, so please feel free to leave a comment/review down below if you'd like to be mentioned in the next chapter! They are much appreciated & encourage me to keep writing this fic :D**

 ****Feel free to check out my tumblr too, which is pufftheninja.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Shoutout to **Ishval,** **rinpup14,** and **megane-chan** for leaving comments last chapter! And shoutout to **The Whisperer of Death** for leaving a comment on _Takashi to Mariko_ (since I don't know when I'll get to post the next chapter of that, and I wanna acknowledge you ASAP :D ). Thank you all so much! I always enjoy hearing from you!

 **megane-chan:** Same to be honest xD Shiro's such good big brother material. You will meet Scarlett this chapter, so don't you worry! ;D She seems adorable now but...heh, just wait until you meet her. And thank you! I really want to draw more scenes from my fics but I have so little time. I will keep drawing for this story though, so be on the lookout for those pics.

 ****I do not own Voltron: Legendary Defender!**

* * *

"I'm not finding any coordinates in here," Pidge reported as her eyes flicked across the computer screens that she'd hooked up to Shiro's arm. "Are you sure this wasn't just a dream?"

"I'm positive," Shiro insisted, his tone adamant and his expression serious. "Someone helped me escape."

"And he was Galra as well?" Allura prodded warily.

"Yes."

"You know you cannot trust them."

"But there has to be at least _some_ good Galra in the empire, right?" Mari piped up. "I refuse to believe an entire race of people is evil, especially not after one of them helped me."

"That is naive thinking on your part then," the princess retorted coolly, and the human girl bristled. "You haven't known the Galra—haven't fought against them—for as long as Coran and I have. I _know_ what they're like, and I will never even consider the chances of any of them becoming our allies."

"We can't just group people together like that, Allura!" Mari snapped. "Discrimination never leads to anything good."

"I-I am not discriminating!" Allura scoffed, turning to her with irritation in her eyes. "I am being cautious! They destroyed my planet and killed my family. I have a right to dislike them. They took Shiro from you and they tortured you as well. I cannot believe you would defend them after everything they've put you through just because you had one less-than-unpleasant encounter with one of them!"

"Okay, that's enough!" Shiro instantly intervened before their argument could get out of hand. The two girls glared at one another and huffed before turning away from the other, Mari crossing her arms over her chest and Allura's hands curling into fists at her sides. Shiro sighed and continued in a calmer tone, "I understand why you dislike the Galra. We all do. They're our enemy and we have to be careful about who we can call our allies. But your father must have trusted them once, right? Zarkon was the original Black Paladin, wasn't he?"

The anger on Allura's face instantly contorted into guilt as this truth was shared amongst the other paladins. She averted her gaze indignantly and stated curtly, "That was a long time ago. It doesn't matter now."

"Wait, what?" Lance gasped, totally befuddled by this revelation.

"Didn't you see how he stole the Black Lion right out from Shiro?" Keith provided, his usual scowl lining his features. "Or that he could do all that cool stuff with his bayard? Shiro's bayard? You know, the _black_ one?"

"Why didn't you just tell us the truth about Zarkon?" Shiro asked, and the princess sighed.

"I wanted to protect you from the dark history of the paladins so that you would have a chance to bond with your lions on your own," she explained apologetically. "You are the Black Paladin now, Shiro. Not Zarkon."

"Yeah, well, the Black Lion may have a different take on the matter," Shiro muttered, and Allura grimaced.

"Wait a second," Pidge suddenly exclaimed, causing the others to jump. Her fingers were flying across her keyboard now and her laptop was emitting a series of little blips and bleeps. "I think I see it now. Some repeating numbers in all this Galra code. Let me extract it…"

Several maps and location images appeared on the larger screens for all to see and Pidge grinned in satisfaction. "They _are_ coordinates! They lead here: the Thaldycon system."

"Then, that's where we're headed," Shiro decided.

"Shiro, are you sure you can trust this?" Keith wondered hesitantly. "I mean, after all the Galra have done to you…They—They took your arm. They hurt your sister."

The determination in their leader's gaze never wavered as he took in the worried looks of his team. "That's true. The Galra have caused all of us and countless others harm in one way or another. But what matters is that people from within the empire helped us escape. If we can locate some allies in our fight against Zarkon, especially ones from his own side, we might just find a way to take him down."

"We can check the location, but I do _not_ like this," Allura frowned, folding her arms over her chest as a sign of her disapproval. "The Galra are not to be trusted."

But despite her reluctance to do so, Allura locked onto the coordinates Pidge had uncovered from within Shiro's arm and opened a wormhole nonetheless. Emerging on the other side, the Castle hovered in front of a ginormous cluster of jagged crystals floating in space.

"Well, this is it," Coran announced as the ship carefully maneuvered around the sparkling rock chunks. "No sign of any activity at all, living or otherwise."

"Can we get in there to take a closer look?" Shiro asked, squinting as he tried to peer through the mass of crystals.

"I don't want to bring the Castle any closer," Coran said with a shake of his head. "Those xanthorium chunks contain highly unstable nitrate salts. Even bumping one of them can blow us straight to Wozblay."

"Are you sure this is right?" Shiro inquired, his brow raising in doubt.

"These are the coordinates Number Six gave me," Coran said, easily shifting the blame.

"Hey! My decryption is solid!" Pidge fired back defensively.

"There must be something we're missing," Shiro muttered.

"We should get out of here," Allura suggested hurriedly, her anxiousness written all over her face. "We've checked it out, but now, it's time to move on."

"We've been here for all of five seconds," Mari rolled her eyes. "Just take a breath and calm down, Allura."

The princess gritted her teeth and her shoulders tensed as she glowered at the Earthling. "I am perfectly calm," she ground out slowly and unconvincingly. "And I am positive we have been here for at least three dobashes, not five of your 'seconds'."

"I was being sarcastic."

"And I am being serious! We've spent enough time here already. We should leave."

"No," Shiro interrupted them once again before their conversation could escalate. "There must be something more to this, I can feel it. I think we should wait."

Everyone waited in silence for several more dobashes. There was no telling if or when something was going to happen, whether it be an attack or a friendly signaling from a potential ally. But the tension amongst them was gradually building with each passing tick, and everyone was on edge and becoming restless. When a warning alarm suddenly pierced the quiet air of the bridge, everyone startled, and Lance even fell out of his seat.

"There's an intruder in the Castle!" Coran shouted as their panels flashed a brilliant red.

"How could someone just sneak aboard the ship?" Lance groaned in disbelief as he picked himself off the floor.

"I knew coming here was a mistake!" Allura exclaimed in an 'I told you so!' tone of voice as she brought up the Castle's security camera system. "There he is. Level five," she said, and she pointed to one of the many feeds on screen that displayed a hooded individual running amok through the halls.

"Everyone, suit up," Shiro ordered, standing at the ready. "You too, Mari."

"About that…" Mari began hesitantly, and she clasped her hands together before awkwardly averting her gaze from their leader. "Probably not the best time to be mentioning this, buuuut…I no longer have a space suit. My old one had to be cut off of me."

Shiro blinked twice at her, looking dumbfounded. From his control panel, Coran winced and he gave the Black Paladin a sheepish look. "Ah, right. Sorry about that. I completely forgot to give her a new one," he apologized.

"Okay, scratch that then," Shiro said, stifling a heavy sigh. "Coran, get her a new suit and send her our way. Paladins, suit up and get ready to fight."

* * *

Her new suit was identical to her last one, although Coran had promised her this one was more durable and had a higher melting point. By the time Mari was dressed and ready to go, the others had confronted the intruder just as he reached level six. Shiro had appointed her the position of standing guard at the nearest stairway leading to level seven, while Allura waited at the ready at the top. If this trespasser somehow managed to get past all five of the paladins, they were the last line of defense to prevent him from reaching the upper levels and Coran on the bridge.

And from the sounds of Coran's play-by-plays blaring over the Castle's loudspeakers, it seemed like she and Allura would have to be doing some fighting today. She could hear the scuffle growing louder and louder down the halls, and the boys, plus Pidge, sounded like they were getting their butts kicked by their unwelcome visitor. Mari would be lying if she said she wasn't at least a bit nervous to face off against this guy, but she held her ground at the bottom of the stairs, staff elongated and held in a defensive stance.

Suddenly, the noise came to an abrupt halt, and a beat of tense silence passed.

"Oh! Shiro's finally stopped him!" Coran relayed over their helmet comms this time, and Mari let out a small sigh of relief. "And…he's a Galra!"

Almost immediately, Allura came flying down the stairs and Mari scrambled out of the way to let the princess pass her. She looked absolutely livid, her hands clenched into fists and her blue eyes bright with fury as she left the human standing there. She booked it down the hallway and disappeared around the corner to meet the paladins and their new prisoner. Not even a tick later, there was a loud thud followed by Allura's angry exclamation of, "Who are you?!"

"Stop! It's him!" Mari could hear Shiro intervene before the princess could beat up their intruder. "This is the Galra who set me free."

"Ulaz?" Mari's eyes widened and she quickly retracted her staff, hope and curiosity fluttering inside her chest. She clipped her weapon to her hip, and just as she took a step forward to head down the hall and meet with the others and her brother's savior, something whisked right past her face and collided with the wall with a solid _thunk_. Freezing mid-step, her eyes zeroed in on the object that would have taken her nose off if she hadn't been wearing her helmet: embedded in the wall just inches from her head was a glistening dagger.

"H-Holy shi—quiznak." Mari swallowed nervously, taking a hesitant step away from the small blade. "Where did that— _oof!_ "

She was cut off as a small masked and hooded form barreled into her, the force of impact nearly knocking her off her feet. A pair of skinny limbs wrapped around her lower torso, pinning her arms to her sides and rendering her unable to reach for her weapon.

"What the hell? Who are you?!" Mari screeched, writhing to free her hands. But the small individual simply tightened their grip, digging their chin into the human's stomach and clinging to her like a baby koala. Mari grimaced in pain and stumbled backwards until her back hit the wall. "Get off of me, dammit!"

Alerted by her sudden shouts, Allura and the other paladins came hurrying around the corner with a handcuffed pale purple Galran in tow. He was tall and his expression was unchangingly stern. He had to be Ulaz. But who was this second trespasser then? The outfit they wore was similar to Ulaz's, give or take a few differences in the design details. Were they a friend of his then?

"What is going on here?" Allura demanded, her eyebrows furrowing even more as she noticed the knife stuck in the wall.

"Let Ulaz go, Altean!" the second infiltrator exclaimed, their voice unexpectedly high pitched. "Or-Or else!"

"Pssh! Or else what?" Lance snorted before he could stop himself. "You're like the size of a freaking munchkin. And you're unarmed."

"I-I am not a munch…munchy…I'm not whatever you just called me!" they snapped back. "Besides, I have a hostage here! If you don't let Ulaz go, I—I'll kill this dumb girl!"

" _Excuse_ _me_?" Mari hissed, her blood beginning to simmer. "I'd like to see you try, you little troll! And I am not dumb!"

"You didn't even hear me sneak up on you," they sneered, and Mari growled. "In fact, none of you even realized that there was a second intruder. You were all so focused on Ulaz, you didn't even detect my presence…Your security cameras must be _so_ outdated and low-tech. That or your watchman is terrible at his job."

Coran gasped loudly over the loudspeakers, causing everyone to startle. "They are not 'low-tech'! Pop-Pop Wimbelton's designs are perfectly perfect the way they are! They only seem out of date to you because this castle is over ten thousand years old!" he insisted angrily. "And I am not bad at my job!"

"Whatever, old man," they sighed uncaringly and Coran made an offended sound. But before he could retaliate, Ulaz spoke up for the first time.

"That is enough, little one," he declared, his voice deep and level as he addressed Mari's captor. "Release her this instant. These people are not our enemies."

They hesitated for a moment, glancing back and forth between Ulaz and the princess who had a firm hold on the cuffs around his wrists. "But Ulaz—"

" _Now_ , Scarlett," Ulaz ordered, and she tsked in dismay.

"Fiiiinnneee," she drawled in irritation, and she obediently loosened her grip and hopped off of Mari before facing the others. Removing her hood, the mask obscuring her face vanished to reveal a young and pale skinned girl with feathery light blue hair, antenna, diamond birthmarks on her cheeks, and teal colored eyes that were narrowed in hostility. She was unexpectedly humanoid and definitely not the Galran child Mari had imagined her to be.

"Ulaz, who is this?" Shiro asked, looking to the Galra male with confusion in his gaze.

"Her name is Scarlett. She is an Utearen child that I have been looking after for several decaphoebs now."

"I'm fourteen. I'm not a child anymore," Scarlett grumbled, but Ulaz ignored her griping.

"I apologize for her behavior. I did not realize she followed me and boarded this castle as well. She was supposed to stay behind and remain on guard," he explained, his voice rising a bit near the end and causing her to flinch.

"Zyron's holding down the fort! He's got everything under control," Scarlett promised, although she couldn't bring herself to confidently meet his eyes. "I just really wanted to meet the paladins of legend…I didn't think they'd be so inept."

"Hey," Hunk drawled, sounding wounded by her words, but Scarlett paid no attention to him as she moved to retrieve her knife. She had to stand on her tip toes and grunted in the effort to reach it, but just as her fingertips brushed against the hilt, Mari easily plucked it out of the wall and held it high above her head.

"What the—What are you doing?" Scarlett shrilled, swiping furiously for her weapon. She jumped up repeatedly to try and snatch it, but her efforts were in vain. "Give that back! It's not yours!"

"Ah ah, trespassers get their weapons confiscated until proven trustworthy," Mari shook her head and she couldn't help but grin in triumph as a furious snarl twisted the younger girl's features. "Besides, little girls shouldn't be playing with knives."

Scarlett stomped her foot frustratedly on the ground and she looked like she was going to try tackling Mari again. But before she could, Allura stepped in and snapped another pair of restraints around the child's wrists.

"You will be coming with us, Utearen," the princess stated flatly, her eyes narrowed in disdain, and a disgruntled growl rumbled in the back of Scarlett's throat. She gnashed her teeth and her hands clenched into little fists while the antenna on her head started glowing faintly as her irritation escalated. She opened her mouth to protest, but Ulaz calmly intervened.

"Do as she says, little one," he ordered. "This is her ship. We must abide by her rules now."

* * *

 **A/n:** So here's some background info about Scarlett's creation: Way back when I created Mari and started the original drafts of this fic, one of my little sisters was really getting into Voltron as well. She's the first one I shared Mari with, and since then she's been helping me brainstorm scenarios (especially the funny ones) for this fic. She basically already knows how the rest of this story will play out through season 7 lol. But anyways, she ended up creating her own character, Scarlett, along the way, and because I loved Scarlett's design and personality, I decided to include her in this story. She adds more comic relief (which is awesome cuz I suck at coming up with humorous stuff), plus she's going to be a huge help to Mari in the future.

Also, for Halloween I'll be uploading that short story I wrote about Lotor, so be on the lookout for that tomorrow!

 ****I do shoutouts now, so please feel free to leave a comment/review down below if you'd like to be mentioned in the next chapter! They are much appreciated & encourage me to keep writing this fic :D**

 ****Feel free to check out my tumblr too, which is pufftheninja.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Shoutout to **Ishval** , **Mercedes1312** , and **rinpup14** , for leaving comments last chapter! Thank you so flippin much! I always enjoy hearing from you! :D

 ****I do not own Voltron: Legendary Defender!**

* * *

After Ulaz and Scarlett had been apprehended, they were brought to one of the Castle's lounge rooms for interrogation.

"I don't think this is necessary," Shiro voiced hesitantly as their group stared at the restrained alien pair sitting side by side on the couch. "They're our allies. We don't need to tie them up like this."

"I will _not_ have some quiznak-ing Galra soldier on the bridge of my ship!" Allura huffed stubbornly, her shoulders hunched and her arms folded defensively in front of her.

"Well, _I'm_ not Galra," Scarlett began slowly, but Allura shot her a killer glare that instantly made her mouth snap shut.

"You're working with him, so that makes you just as bad," the princess glowered at the small girl, and Scarlett's eyes narrowed at her.

"I'm with Allura on this one. At least partially," Mari piped up. "I wouldn't mind freeing Ulaz. But I, for one, don't want that annoying, knife-throwing Smurf having free rein of the Castle anytime soon."

"I'm not a ' _Smurf_ '! What even is a ' _Smurf_ '?" Scarlett shrilled, her voice dripping with disgust as she enunciated the word. "I'm an Utearen you stupid, stupid girl!"

"And I don't care you little blue psycho!" Mari shot back, and Shiro placed a firm hand on her shoulder to keep her in place. "You could've killed me!"

"But I didn't though, now did I?" Scarlett countered, and Mari scowled at her in response.

"If we had wanted to kill you, you'd be dead already," Ulaz stated, and Allura turned on him with rage burning in her eyes.

"Are your Galra threats supposed to win my trust?" she snapped at him incredulously.

"I'm not trying to win your trust. I'm trying to win a war," he replied in all seriousness. "And, because of Shiro, we are closer than we've ever been. Our gamble on you paid off better than we could have ever imagined."

"When you released me, you also mentioned that there were others working with you," Shiro said, looking expectantly at Ulaz for confirmation on this. "My sister also recently had an encounter with a Galra officer that helped her on Zarkon's main ship. He told her that we have allies amongst your people."

"You must have met Thace. He is the only member we currently have that has managed to obtain a position in Zarkon's Central Command," Ulaz concluded, casting Mari a solemn look. "We belong to an organization called the Blade of Marmora."

"They're a group of Galran resistance fighters," Scarlett explained, eyeing the princess warily all the while. "For thousands of decaphoebs they've been infiltrating the emperor's bases and command ships to gather information that could be used to destroy the empire."

"How did _you_ get mixed up with them then?" Pidge wondered, a skeptical eyebrow raised. "You said you were an Utearen, right?"

Scarlett nodded. "Like countless other planets in the empire, mine was taken over by Zarkon. He depleted our resources and wiped out almost all my people in the process before leaving Uteara to die. My parents died when I was just a baby and I was left to be taken care of by someone who's like a sister to me. She was half Galra, half Utearen. When the Blades came to help us, they wanted to recruit her. But that meant leaving me behind and she refused to join them unless I could come along. We would've been left on Uteara if Ulaz hadn't broken the rules and taken me in."

"This little one has proven to be quite useful to us in our efforts," Ulaz nodded. "She may be young still, but she has a brilliant mind. She has designed technology and equipment for the Blade to use during missions these past few decaphoebs."

"So you're saying this kid is some sort of genius?" Mari scoffed in disbelief. "I couldn't tell from her sloppy attack."

"' _Sloppy_ '?" Scarlett repeated, clearly insulted, and the human girl rolled her eyes.

"You immediately disarmed yourself of your only weapon and then you jumped on an enemy that was twice your size without having a solid plan in mind," she pointed out, and Scarlett winced.

"I was panicking. It's hard to think of a plan on the spot," she mumbled in her defense as her cheeks turned a light shade of pink. "I'm an inventor not a fighter. Besides, you looked so weak, I thought I could handle taking you down."

"What?! Say that again you little shrimp! I can kick your ass into next week!" Mari shouted, and Shiro had to hold her back so she wouldn't strangle the Utearen child.

"This resistance group—the Blade of Marmora. Where are they now?" Shiro asked, grunting from the effort of keeping his pissed sister away from their guests. "Do they have a base here?"

"Our headquarters is not located anywhere within this system," Ulaz admitted. "We only have a communications base here. Scarlett and I are the only ones operating it."

"What base are you talking about?" Allura frowned and her eyes narrowed in suspicion. "Shiro's coordinates just led us to this wasteland."

"The base is hidden," Ulaz clarified. "Now that I know it is Shiro that has come, you are welcome to our outpost. It lies dead ahead."

"Behind all the xanthorium clusters?" Pidge asked doubtfully.

"No," Ulaz answered. "Right in front of it, in a hidden pocket of space-time."

"Coran, are you hearing this?" Allura called out to him in disbelief, the elder Altean having been listening to their conversation over the Castle's comms from the safety of the bridge.

"I am picking up some kind of anomaly on the screen," he relayed over the loudspeaker. "I suppose it could be a cloaked base."

"Just fly straight for the center of the xanthorium cluster," Ulaz instructed. "You will see."

Allura tsked and tilted her chin up at him in disdain. "You think you're going to get me to destroy our ship just because you say so?" she exclaimed incredulously.

"We came out here to find some answers," Shiro chimed in. "Are we really going to turn back now?"

"You know I trust you, Shiro," Keith spoke up, his brow knitted together in concern as he looked at their leader. "But this doesn't feel right."

"And you know I hate to agree with Keith, but it's a big fat ditto for me," Lance pitched in.

"Galra could have implanted fake memories of the escape in your head," Pidge added.

"Oh, come on, that would be so evil…which, of course, they are. But they'd have to come up with some molecular level storage unit…which his hand does have. But, to be linked up to memory, it would need a direct pathway to his brain, which…yeah," Hunk noted, his optimistic outlook on the situation dissolving in an instant.

"Ulaz freed me. Without him, we wouldn't be here," Shiro tried to reason with everyone, but their dour expressions indicated that they remained unconvinced. He looked to his sister pleadingly to back him up and Mari sighed.

"As much as I don't like a certain blue-haired individual in this room…" she began slowly, giving Scarlett a pointed look. "I think we should trust them. Thace helped me and Ulaz helped Takashi. We've got no other leads on finding potential allies, anyways. We might as well do this."

Allura huffed and mulled over it for a moment longer before caving. " _Fine_. Slow and steady, Coran. Head for the xanthorium cluster."

"Yes, Princess," Coran confirmed. "Beginning approach…Impact imminent in five…four…three…two…!" He gasped, and everyone flinched as they waited for an explosion to rock the ship. But no such thing happened, and Coran simply said, "Huh. Well, that's something."

"What is it?" Allura inquired.

"Putting it up on the screens."

The screen on the wall at the far end of the room flickered to life, revealing what was currently going on outside of the Castle. They were traveling through a swirling mess of colors and shimmering light, the stars around them fading in and out of focus.

"Amazing," Pidge breathed in awe. "They're _folding_ space!"

"You figured that out quickly. Maybe not all you humans are as stupid as I thought you were," Scarlett mused, a pleased grin on her face as she glanced at the Green Paladin.

"It's like a space taco. Or a space calzone. Or a space-time soup dumpling and we're the soup," Hunk beamed in excitement at the thought of food. "Hey, is there a cafeteria on this thing?"

"I take back my statement," Scarlett murmured under her breath and she slumped back in her seat.

The Castle burst through the exit of the psychedelic fold in space and the hidden base Ulaz had mentioned was now visible.

"Welcome to the Blade of Marmora Communications Base Thaldycon," he divulged as he rose to his feet, and Scarlett was quick to follow him. "Now, if you'll free us, we need to send a message to the leadership. They need to know we've made contact with Voltron."

Allura's glare had softened a bit as she eyed Ulaz and Scarlett, but her guard never dropped as she removed the cuffs around their wrists and ankles. Then turning to Shiro, she directed him, "Go with them and keep an eye on them. I'm staying here."

"Ooh! Can we go?" Hunk wondered.

"I want to see how they make the space pocket!" Pidge cheered giddily, her eyes shining like a kid's on Christmas morning.

"I think I'm just gonna stay here," Mari decided, casting Scarlett a tentative look.

"All right! You guys will go ahead and I'll hang back and protect our two lovely ladies," Lance grinned in satisfaction, and Allura groaned.

"Changed my mind. I'll take my chances and go with you guys," Mari deadpanned, and Lance made a wounded sound.

"Why do you hate me so much, Mari?" Lance asked, giving her a puppy dog pout, and she rolled her eyes.

"I don't hate you. But if my only two options are dealing with an alien brat—"

"Hey!"

"—and enduring hours of your incessant flirting, I'd rather put up with the brat."

"No! Don't let her on our base, Ulaz! She's mean!" Scarlett pleaded, but the Galra man looked unfazed.

"Don't worry. I'll keep her in line," Keith assured the Utearen, and Mari bristled.

"Screw you," she muttered, and he granted her a small smirk.

* * *

With Pidge, Hunk, Shiro, Mari, Ulaz, Scarlett, and Keith piling into the Red Lion, the group took off towards the Marmoran base.

"This is the gravity generator that creates the space-time fold that hides the station," Ulaz explained, gesturing out the window at the large device attached to the small base. It was producing a glowing orb of energy that sparked with bolts of electricity every once in a while. "Scarlett worked with a reclusive genius engineer named Slav to create it. Most of their creations allow the Blade of Marmora to remain hidden while we work to take down the Galra Empire. Zarkon would do anything to get his hands on this technology."

"Whoa, you helped to make that thing?" Pidge blinked in surprise as she glanced at Scarlett.

"Yep!" Scarlett nodded proudly from next to the Green Paladin, smiling to herself in satisfaction. "Slav and I work together to create a lot of the Blade's tech. He's a freaking genius, but he's hard to work with…He's so irritating."

"Huh. You're one to talk," Mari grumbled under her breath, but Scarlett still heard her.

"Shut up! You're just jealous cuz I'm super smart and your brain is the size of an afowei berry," she retorted.

"Yeah, I don't know what that is, so your insult is lacking in effectiveness," Mari replied as she stared at the child with an unamused expression.

"That just proves my point. You're an ignorant primitive," Scarlett sneered triumphantly and the human's eye twitched in annoyance.

"Scarlett said that the Blade of Marmora is made up of Galra, right?" Keith wisely intervened while Shiro wedged himself between his sister and the Utearen before they could start arguing. "So there really are Galra out there that aren't loyal to Zarkon?"

"We thought expanding the Galra Empire would bring stability," Ulaz said, his expression turning grim. "We learned too late a tyrant doesn't seek stability, only power."

The Red Lion landed in the base's hangar and everyone disembarked. Ulaz led the group into the communications base, escorting them to the heart of the facility. They entered the spacious control center, taking in the screens over the main panel that displayed blueprints of Zarkon's command ship and the planets that surrounded it.

"Zyron! Ulaz and I are back!" Scarlett announced cheerfully as she hurried to the center of the room. Instantly, a small bug-like robot flew out from its hiding spot beneath the control panel and chirped happily in greeting as it fluttered around the Utearen.

"Oh my gosh! He's adorable!" Pidge beamed, unable to hold herself back as she snatched the robot out of the air and eagerly began to examine every inch of him. "Did you make this little guy too? His movements are so fluid! And I can't even see the paneling on him! He's amazing!"

"Indeed I did! He's hooked up to all our systems and alerts us if anything's wrong. He helps to monitor and protect the base," Scarlett gushed as she watched Pidge fawn over her creation. She was blushing and her antenna were glowing with pride, and Mari realized that the young girl was probably unused to receiving such animated praise. If the Blades were as serious and collected as Ulaz and Thace, her work was probably rarely complimented, if even at all.

"So cool!" Pidge squealed, finally releasing a miffed Zyron back into the air. "Aw man, he makes me miss Rover."

While Scarlett and Pidge scurried off into a different room to look at the Utearen's in-progress projects, the others gathered around Ulaz at the central control panel as he prepared to send a message to the Blade's home base.

"With our members working on the inside, planning coordinated attacks with Voltron, we may finally have a chance to take down Zarkon," he said, a hint of hope and determination in his tone.

"So the soldier that helped me—Thace. He's one of these spies?" Mari wondered and Ulaz nodded.

"Thace is responsible for your successful escape from Zarkon in your last fight. He shut down those shields around Zarkon's command center from the inside," Ulaz explained. "We have people risking their lives in this war, just like you."

A mixture of gratefulness and worry blossomed inside of Mari's chest at this piece of news. She knew Thace was a good man. But shutting down such a large shield and daring to free Voltron must have been incredibly dangerous to do. Like Ulaz had implied, it was a feat that had risked Thace's life. He would no doubt be killed if it was ever discovered that he had helped Voltron escape. Mari silently hoped he was all right and that his cover hadn't been blown.

"If you have people on the inside, can they tell me if they know where the rest of my crewmates are?" Shiro asked, speaking on Pidge's behalf while she gabbed with Scarlett. "Their names were Matt and Sam Holt. They were captured the same time I was."

"I knew others from Earth were captured. I never saw them, but I have some records of Galra prisoners here. I can transmit them to your ship," Ulaz offered. He turned to his controls and began typing in commands, compiling the relevant data from the base's computers and preparing to send it to the Castle.

Meanwhile, Keith had been quiet this whole time, his usual glare replaced by a concerned, if not confused frown as he stared at Ulaz's back. Mari almost forgot he was there with them until he spoke up, breaking the silence that had fallen over them.

"What's that weapon you carry?" he asked. The question was innocent enough, but there was a profound curiosity hidden within his tone; it was unusual, hearing Keith sound like that.

Nevertheless, Ulaz was willing to quench his interest, and he reached for the sword attached to his back. "It's a ceremonial blade that each member of our order carries," he explained, unsheathing it and reverently holding the curved blade in his hands for Keith and the others to see. There was a glowing blue insignia engraved above the handle and Keith's face flickered with something unreadable as he stared at it.

"Hmm, nice," he muttered quietly and Ulaz casually re-sheathed his sword before returning to his work at the panel.

"This is the first time I've seen you so fascinated by, well, _anything_. Didn't know you were so into swords," Mari mused, and she nudged him teasingly in the ribs. "Although, I guess your bayard is one. And you always carry around that little dagger. I bet you want a weapon like Ulaz's now, huh?"

She chuckled half-heartedly, fully expecting him to scowl and cross his arms defensively before shooting back a retort, but her giggles died on her lips at the look he was giving her. His eyes were wide, his eyebrows knit together and his lips pressed together in a thin line as he took half a step away from her. He looked scared, panicked almost. It freaked Mari out a little bit, and she wondered if it was something she had said. But before she could ask him what was wrong, Scarlett popped up in between them.

"Speaking of blades, I believe you still have something of mine," she interrupted. Her eyes narrowed and she placed one hand on her hip as she held the other out towards Mari. "Can I have my knife back now, dumb lady?"

Her irritation and anger flaring anew, Mari whirled on the Utearen, her hand resting on her weapon threateningly. "Call me dumb or stupid or idiotic one more time, and I'll punch you so hard those birthmarks will fall off your cheeks!" she hissed, and Scarlett blanched. Her hands flew up to her face, cupping her cheeks and protecting the small diamond markings.

"I-I just want my weapon back!" Scarlett whined, pouting indignantly. "Please give it back… _ugly_ lady."

"Why you quiznaking little—!"

Scarlett yelped as an enraged Mari swiped at her, and she hurriedly hid behind Ulaz. "Your sister's crazy," she commented, casting the Black Paladin a pitiful look, and Shiro tiredly dragged a hand down his face while Keith physically struggled to hold Mari back so she wouldn't pounce on the little girl.

"Knock it off you two," Shiro ordered, his features pinched in annoyance and his tone stern. "Mari, just give her the knife back."

Mari grumbled a string of unintelligible complaints under her breath, but made no move to do as she was told. Shiro sighed and raised his voice a little as he added firmly, " _Now_ , please."

Stifling a growl, she huffed a displeased "fine" and shrugged Keith off of her. She pulled the small dagger from where she'd stashed it in her belt pouch and begrudgingly handed it back to its rightful owner. "Here, you brat."

Failing to hide her triumphant grin, Scarlett snatched the blade away from her and stuck out her tongue. "Finally! Back where it belongs," she hummed happily to herself, and Mari rolled her eyes.

"Maybe you shouldn't go throwing it around carelessly next time if you're so attached to it," she mumbled, but the Utearen made no indication that she had heard her.

"Your blade isn't the same as Ulaz's," Keith observed, his eyes never leaving Scarlett as he watched her slide her weapon into the sheath that hung at her side.

Scarlett shook her head and patted the sheath twice in finality now that her knife was safely tucked away. "Nope," she replied, popping her lips around the 'p'. "Mine's just a regular old dagger, but it works well enough. I'm technically not a member of the Blades of Marmora, so there's no special luxite blade for me."

"Luxite?" Pidge repeated, raising an eyebrow and tilting her head curiously. Zyron was perched on the top of her helmet and she was careful not to shake him off.

"It's a type of rare metal. It's super strong, has transformative properties, and it glows sometimes. But the planet it was originally mined on was destroyed decaphoebs ago," Scarlett explained. Then pouting a bit she added, "I really wanna work with it someday, but Kolivan won't let me touch their luxite supply."

Ulaz's eyes never left the screen as he continued to work, but he replied in a monotonic voice, as if he'd heard this complaint many times before, "We need that supply to cast new blades. We cannot afford to waste any of it."

"I wouldn't waste it!" Scarlett insisted. "I just want to—"

Before she could continue, Zyron startled and tumbled off of Pidge's head, chirping in warning and fluttering around his creator. Red lights flashed overhead and a blaring alarm sounded as the screens displayed the exterior of the base. Zooming towards the cluster of xanthorium crystals was a Galran pod, much like the ones that had contained the robeasts that Voltron had fought back on Arus and the Balmera.

"Oh, no!" Ulaz hissed and he whirled on the group, his expression angry if not accusatory. "You were tracked!"

"What? _Us_?" Pidge scoffed in disbelief.

"If Zarkon knows we're here, it's because you ratted us out!" Keith snapped back defensively.

"We would never do that!" Scarlett snarled in response, her antenna glowing faintly in her anger. "No Galra ships have ever dared to come this close to the xanthorium field until you all showed up. It has to be because of you!"

Outside, the pod burst open, sending shattered bits of the container flying out into space as the newest robeast was released. It looked like a clunky metal head with a jagged jaw and a pair of arms attached to the sides. A rocket booster on the bottom propelled it towards the cluster of explosive crystals, closing the distance between itself and the folded pocket of space where the Marmoran base and the Castle of Lions were currently hidden.

"We have to get back to the ship!" Shiro hurriedly instructed, and the others paladins plus Mari turned to leave, but Ulaz stopped them.

"Shiro, wait," he called out, and he removed a memory stick from the control panel before holding it out to the Black Paladin. "These are instructions on how to reach the Blade of Marmora headquarters. Before you go there, find out how Zarkon is tracking you. If you lead him there, our entire underground network, _everything_ we've spent centuries building, will be lost."

Shiro was silent for a moment, staring at Ulaz and the memory drive with a solemn look. Setting his jaw in determination, he nodded in understanding and took it from their Galra ally. "All right guys," he said, sprinting for the exit once he'd safely tucked the device away in one of his belt pouches. "Let's head out!"

* * *

 ****I do shoutouts now, so please feel free to leave a comment/review down below if you'd like to be mentioned in the next chapter! They are much appreciated & encourage me to keep writing this fic :D**

 ****Feel free to check out my tumblr too, which is pufftheninja.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Shoutout to **Ishval** for leaving a comment last chapter! Thank you so much! I always enjoy hearing from you and exchanging ideas with you! :D

 ****I do not own Voltron: Legendary Defender!**

* * *

As Red zipped back towards the Castle, Allura's infuriated face popped up on the lion's main screens.

"I _knew_ they couldn't be trusted!" she blurted in an 'I-told-you-so' tone of voice, and Pidge, Hunk, Mari, and Keith cringed in response. Shiro's expression remained unfazed though and he firmly shook his head.

"It wasn't them," he said, his faith in Ulaz unwavering.

"How can you be sure?" the princess demanded to know.

"It doesn't matter now," Coran quickly intervened before an argument could break out. He zeroed in on the robeast steadily approaching and turned to Allura nervously. "What should we do?"

"Why can't we just hide here in the space clam and wait for it to go away?" Hunk suggested.

"Because things are never that simple when it comes to defeating these creatures," Mari grumbled, and when Hunk gave her a fearful look, she sighed and added, "This is a monster made by Zarkon and his witch, no doubt. There's no way they'd make something so incompetent that it wouldn't be able to find us eventually." A shiver ran down her spine at the thought of Haggar, and she swallowed thickly before snuffing out the thoughts as best as she could. This wasn't the time or place to get sucked into a flashback or have a meltdown.

"For all we know, that thing could completely destroy the base," Pidge pitched in. "We have to protect Ulaz and Scarlett."

Shiro nodded in agreement and turned his attention to the Castle ahead of them. "Everyone get to your lions, but don't launch," he decided. "We'll wait to see what it does. I don't want to risk fighting it if we don't have to."

When Red landed in its hangar, Hunk, Shiro, and Pidge disembarked and hurried to their own hangars to board their lions. Mari returned to the bridge, switching places with Lance and waiting alongside Coran and Allura while he booked it to Blue. From their respective positions, everyone watched with bated breath as the robeast flew closer and closer to where they were hidden in the space pocket. It seemed to be scanning the chunks of crystal surrounding them, looking for any signs of life.

Suddenly, it opened its giant maw and began sucking in the chunks of xanthorium like a vacuum cleaner. Once it closed its mouth, the beast glowed with newly acquired energy and it locked onto the field of crystals. Upon reopening its lips, a deadly red laser beam shot from a cannon inside its mouth and destroyed a massive amount of xanthorium crystals in a chain reaction of explosions. Scanning the cluster again, the robeast locked onto the anomaly that was the space fold hidden amongst the rocks and made a beeline for it.

"I think he knows we're here," Hunk croaked anxiously over the comms.

"Hold…" Shiro instructed everyone, his voice tense and low.

The robeast opened its jaws again and fired a volley of angry red blasts in the direction of the space pocket, landing one hit after another on the Castle. Allura and Mari stumbled, nearly knocked to the floor upon impact, and Coran tightened his grip on his control panel to keep himself upright.

"Direct hit!" he exclaimed, already assessing the Castle for damage. "He definitely knows we're here!"

"Get the particle barrier up!" the princess ordered, and her advisor immediately did as he was told.

The shimmering forcefield activated, encompassing the ship and blocking the shots being sent their way. The robeast paused in its attack, opening its mouth once more and inhaling more xanthorium clusters. But the suction power of its jaws was so powerful that it began to draw in the Castle along with the crystals.

"He's readying another attack!" Coran warned.

"And he's pulling us in as well!" Allura realized with dread. "Paladins, I think it's time to launch!"

As soon as the paladins formed Voltron, the giant robot shot out of the space pocket, punching the robeast head-on just as it was about to fire another string of blasts. The creature was blown backwards and it misfired its laser beam, destroying another group of crystals above it. Then without warning, the space pocket dissolved, revealing the location of the Marmoran base along with the Castle.

"We're exposed! The space fold has been lowered!" Allura alerted the paladins, the anger in her voice unmistakable.

Not even a tick later, the generator Scarlett had been so proud of detached from the base and fled the scene, leaving Team Voltron to fend for themselves.

"Well, there goes Ulaz and Scarlett," Coran observed sourly, when a new voice piped up over the comms.

"Actually, I'm still on the base," Scarlett clarified and Allura grit her teeth. The princess was seething at this point, fury and distrust shining bright in her eyes as she glared at the battle going on outside.

"Abandoning his allies…How typical of a Galra! I knew we should never have trusted him!" she growled, her hands clenching into fists as they lighted upon her control pillars.

"He didn't abandon me! Ulaz would never do that!" Scarlett cried out, fiercely defending the man who was her caretaker. "He told me he'd be right back. He—He just needs to protect the gravity generator."

Her voice faltered, as if she were desperately trying to convince herself that this was the truth, that Ulaz hadn't really ditched her. For a moment, Mari felt bad for the young alien girl: her planet had basically been destroyed, she'd been separated from her sister-figure, and she hadn't been wanted by the Blades. No one had stayed with her, taken care of her, for as long as Ulaz had. And now he was leaving her too. Scarlett was all alone.

Allura, Coran, and Mari watched with varying levels of concern as Voltron repeatedly punched and fired lasers at the robeast, pushing it away from the base and the Castle, but unable to make a single dent in its body. It continuously sucked up xanthorium chunks, gathering more ammo before firing relentlessly at the paladins. Voltron was barely managing to dodge the beams and the lines of explosions that were set off by the disrupted crystals all around them. To make matters worse, the beast began to try and draw in Voltron, its mouth a tractor beam.

Over and over, Voltron struggled to dodge the lasers and the xanthorium, all while trying to avoid getting sucked into the monster's jaws and to protect the Castle and the base. There was so little room to maneuver freely, and it was obvious that the paladins were at a severe disadvantage here in this mine field of explosive rocks.

Tsking silently to herself, Allura had no choice but to use the Castle's cannons. Aiming them carefully and lowering the output of energy so as not to set off any of the nearby xanthorium, she locked onto the robeast and fired. A blue beam shot from the tip of the ship and landed a direct hit on the creature, knocking it off balance and allowing Voltron to escape being consumed by it.

"Is everyone all right?" the princess called out to the paladins.

"Alive, yes," Lance answered miserably, his grimacing face materializing on the main screens. "All right, no."

The Castle shook as the robeast turned its attention on the support ship and began drawing it towards its mouth. The surrounding crystals that were caught in the beam floated closer to the ship and smashed into the particle barrier, exploding upon impact and sending violent tremors throughout the Castle.

"Paladins, you need to stop the tractor beam!" Allura grunted, and she winced as another tremble shook the ship. "If the particle barrier takes too much damage, we're done for!"

"We're on it, Princess!" Shiro assured her. "Everyone, I've got an idea. Pidge, form shield!"

Pidge did as she was told and Voltron's wings flew off its back as the shield manifested in the Green Lion's jaws. Voltron charged the robeast, holding the shield out in front of it before jamming it vertically into the creature's gapping mouth. With the suction beam blocked and with the monster unable to fire off any shots, Voltron promptly punched the beast, sending it flying. The robot rushed the robeast again, grabbing the stuck shield and steering it in the direction of the largest xanthorium crystal in the area. The Blue and Yellow Lion's thrusters were on full blast as the enemy was driven straight towards the center of the rock, and once enough momentum had been built up, Voltron released the robeast. The shield that had been wedged in the monster's maw flew back to the Green Lion just as the creature crashed into the cluster, producing the largest xanthorium explosion any of them had seen all day.

"All right!" Scarlett cheered over the comms. "There's no way that thing could have survived a detonation like that!"

Suddenly, a red hot laser beam cut through the explosion clouds and slammed into Voltron's shield. The blast had been unexpected and it was so intense that it pushed the legendary hero backwards. The shield was lost in seconds and Voltron was sent tumbling through the sky as the robeast burst into view. It looked completely unharmed despite having just endured a massive explosion, and it activated its tractor beam again to pull in Voltron.

"Scarlett, you jinxed us!" Lance shrieked hysterically, making the comms ring.

"I'm sorry!" she squealed just as frantically in response.

"Guys, I don't think we'll be strong enough to beat this thing!" Hunk chimed in, his tone anxious as well.

"Hang on!"

Scarlett gasped at the sound of the familiar voice and everyone turned their attention to the returning gravity generator.

"Ulaz?" Shiro exclaimed in surprise.

"Yes! I knew it!" Scarlett clapped in relief. "I knew he didn't abandon us!"

"I'm going to take that beast down from the inside!" Ulaz explained curtly as he soared straight for the robeast.

"What? No! You can't!" Scarlett protested, the joy from her voice immediately vanishing, and Shiro didn't even hesitate to back her up.

"She's right, Ulaz!" he agreed. "Let us handle this!"

"Voltron is too valuable," Ulaz said, unwilling to listen to reason as he traveled closer and closer to the beast's mouth. "The universe needs you."

"Ulaz, stop!" Scarlett sounded like she was on the verge of tears now. "Please, stop! Don't do this! Don't leave me!"

A soft and sad sigh escaped from Ulaz as he said solemnly, "Shiro, as a last request, please take care of Scarlett. I leave her to you." He paused for a moment before gently addressing the Utearen. "This is goodbye, little one. Though our paths part, I know we will meet again someday. Stay safe…I love you."

With those finally words of farewell, the gravity generator and Ulaz were swallowed up by the robeast.

Scarlett screamed. It was a piercing watery sound as her sobs overflowed with horror and disbelief, and they made Mari's heart hurt. A guilty look shadowed Allura's face and she screwed her eyes shut and bit her lip before silencing their link with the heartbroken Utearen.

Outside, the robeast had charged Voltron again. But before it could get close enough to begin its attack, it came to an abrupt halt as it was crushed from the inside out.

"Ulaz opened up the space pocket from inside!" Pidge deduced in surprise. "It's falling in on itself!"

It took mere seconds for the robeast's limbs and body to fold into itself, the crude sounds of crunching and shattering metal taking over the comms briefly until the creature completely disappeared. There was a final explosion that took out a large patch of xanthorium crystals along with it, but after that, nothing remained of the monster or the gravity generator.

"He did it," Hunk whispered, too shocked to say much more.

"Ulaz saved us," Keith said in astonishment.

"He's…" Shiro took a shaky breath, unable to bring himself to say the words that were now reality. "He's gone."

* * *

After the fight with the robeast, Shiro decided that they would be taking in Scarlett as the newest member of their team. This announcement, of course, was met with mixed feelings from the others, but Shiro refused to be persuaded otherwise.

"Ulaz saved our lives. The least we could do is fulfill his dying request," he argued. "Besides, we can't have her living on the base alone now that it's exposed. We can't risk Zarkon finding her."

"I suppose you're right," Allura reluctantly admitted. "Her technology could prove to be of some use to us as well."

Shiro and Pidge flew out to the base in the Green Lion to pick up Scarlett and help her pack up her things. It took a varga for them to return, and when they did, their arms were full of boxes of blueprints, hardware, and what little belongings she and Ulaz had owned. Scarlett was silent as she helped the paladins unload her stuff into her new room, her expression deadpan as Zyron flitted worriedly around her. Her tears had ceased, but her eyes remained red from crying and her antenna were drooping. Despite it being much too large for her to use, Ulaz's luxite blade now hung on her back; he'd left it behind for her knowing fully well that he probably wasn't going to be coming back.

When everything was finally unloaded and everyone changed out of their flight suits and armor, they converged on the bridge.

"Welcome to the Castle of Lions, Scarlett," Allura said gently, her smile small and strained. "I know we didn't start off on the best of terms, but I hope we can become close allies. Maybe we could start over? I am Princess Allura of Altea. This is my advisor, Coran."

Coran placed a hand over his heart and bowed slightly in greeting. "Pleasure."

"And these are the Paladins of Voltron," she continued, gesturing to each of them. "Shiro, Hunk, Lance, Pidge, and Keith. Mariko is Shiro's younger sister and a fighter for our cause."

"Hey," Hunk beamed warmly.

"Nice to meet ya," Lance grinned.

"Hiya," Pidge smiled with a small wave.

Keith nodded, his arms crossed.

Mari just frowned and shoved her hands into her pockets as Scarlett glared at her. The young girl was quiet for a tick, scrutinizingly taking in each Earthling and Altean. Finally, her gaze locked onto Allura and her hands curled into fists.

"I'd thank you for allowing me to stay here, but I don't feel even the least bit grateful towards any of you," she stated bluntly, catching them all off guard. "I thought Voltron was supposed to be a powerful warrior that could take down any foe. But here the legendary hero is, unable to take down that monster because he's made up of a bunch of incompetent humans!"

"Hey! We totally would've kicked that things butt if Ulaz hadn't jumped in," Lance snapped defensively.

"Would we?" Hunk raised a doubtful eyebrow and Lance shot him a look that translated to 'Not helping, Hunk!'

"It is true that the paladins aren't the most experienced and they still have a lot learn, but Voltron is still the most powerful force in the known universe," Allura said, struggling to keep her tone calm. "I am…sorry about your loss, but you must know that we aren't your enemies, Scarlett. You must have faith in us."

"You want me to have faith in you? To trust _you_?" Scarlett scoffed incredulously, her eyes brimming with new tears. "You guys brought that beast here! Zarkon is tracking Voltron! If you hadn't come…If Voltron had been strong like I thought it was, then Ulaz wouldn't have died!"

She choked on a sob and hunched forward as tears streaked down her cheeks. Everyone was speechless as she cried, unable to refute her statements as they guiltily averted their gazes. Shiro, the ever caring leader, knelt down in front of her, his eyes reflecting her sorrow.

"I never meant for any of this to happen, Scarlett. None of us did," he began softly, treading carefully so as not to set her off. "We didn't know we were being tracked by Zarkon when we came here. If we had, we wouldn't even have entered the Thaldycon System."

Scarlett sniffed and she hesitantly brought her eyes up to look at him, noting the hints of grief in his features. She said nothing though and swiped away the tears wetting her pale face.

"We'll find out how Zarkon is tracking us, I promise you that," Shiro continued in all sincerity.

"We will make him pay for all the lives he's ruined these past ten thousand years," Allura provided, her tone dark and her thirst for revenge powerful enough to send a shiver down Mari's spine.

"So until then, please do your best to put up with us," Shiro requested, mustering up a small and pleading smile. "We're like a family here. That means we look out for one another. And now that includes you. You don't have to like us or even trust us. All I ask is that you don't lose faith in Voltron."

He gently placed his flesh and blood hand consolingly on her shoulder, and Scarlett blinked twice at it before looking back at him. They stayed like that for several ticks in the gradually growing awkward silence, until she finally pulled away from him.

"Fine. I trust you at least, Shiro," she whispered, and she paused to wipe her nose with a hanky she pulled from her pocket. Clearing her throat, she glanced at the others with narrowed eyes. "As for the rest of you…I want you to take me to the Blade of Marmora headquarters, but that's it. I have no intention of staying here on this castle and becoming friends with any of you. Got that?"

But before any of them could give her a reply other than miffed looks, Scarlett whirled on her heel and huffed out of the bridge.

"Wow," Lance drawled once the doors solidly slid shut behind the Utearen. "She is a piece of work."

* * *

Later that evening, still a few varga before the Castle entered sleep mode, Mari and Keith found Shiro alone in the observation deck. They hovered in the doorway, exchanging worried glances before entering and moving to stand beside their leader.

"You and Scarlett didn't come to dinner," Mari said quietly to start off the conversation. "How are you feeling?"

Shiro cast her and Keith a half-hearted smile, trying his best to reassure them. "I'm all right. Didn't have much of an appetite, that's all. I've just been doing a lot of thinking."

"Do you think Scarlett will be okay?" Keith wondered.

"She just needs time to readjust," Shiro shrugged tiredly. "She seems to have been really close to Ulaz. I'm sure we all know exactly how she's feeling right now, having lost a loved one. We can't rush her mourning. All we can do is be here for her and keep an eye on her for now."

Mari hummed in response and Keith frowned. They stared out at what remained of the xanthorium clusters, each of them unsure of what to say next.

"Sorry we doubted Ulaz, Shiro," Keith apologized, breaking the silence. "We should've trusted him and your word from the beginning."

"I still have so many questions," Shiro sighed longingly.

"Do you…think Zarkon is really tracking us?" Keith inquired hesitantly, just as the doors to the deck swished open behind them.

"We cannot know for sure," Allura answered his question as she stepped into the room. "Only Ulaz knew our whereabouts."

"You don't really think he gave us up? After he sacrificed himself?" Shiro turned to her in dismay.

"Yeah! Maybe Zarkon found out about this place on his own," Keith came to Shiro's defense. "He's probably been searching for the Blade of Marmora."

Allura's brow furrowed, but she remained composed as she said, "It's clear the loss of Ulaz has caused you great concern, but regardless of how Zarkon located us, we cannot stay here in this system any longer. It isn't safe."

"We should meet up with the rest of Ulaz's group, finish what we started," Keith urged, but Shiro shook his head.

"We can't. Not yet anyways. We're not going to the headquarters until we figure out how Zarkon found us," he said. "We can't risk losing the only allies we have in this war."

* * *

 ****I do shoutouts now, so please feel free to leave a comment/review down below if you'd like to be mentioned in the next chapter! They are much appreciated & encourage me to keep writing this fic :D**

 ****Feel free to check out my tumblr too, which is pufftheninja.**


	6. Chapter 6

**Shoutout to **Ishval** and **Micheal 13** for leaving comments last chapter! Thank you so flipping much! I seriously love hearing from you! :D

 **A/n:** Happy Thanksgiving everyone! I'm thankful for Voltron and everyone behind its creation, and I'm thankful for all of you. Thank you for favoriting, following, reviewing, and for simply reading my writing! May you eat well and have a relaxing day tomorrow with family and friends!

 ****I do not own Voltron: Legendary Defender!**

* * *

Pidge was the first one to discover that Scarlett could read minds. She had been analyzing the data Ulaz had transferred to the Castle's computer systems, looking for any clues that would lead her to Matt or her father's whereabouts. She had been so absorbed in her work that she hadn't even noticed when Scarlett sidled up to her and lightly placed a hand on her shoulder. The Green Paladin had only been shaken out of her search when Scarlett loudly began to voice some of Pidge's personal thoughts, including her real name, birthday, the name of her dog, and that her first crush had been on a robot that her brother had made for a science fair project. As much as this ability had amazed Pidge, it had freaked her out to say the least, and she didn't hesitate to share the news of Scarlett's power with the others.

"Utearens are known for their mind-reading skills," Coran had shared with everyone during dinner that night. "Whenever they touch someone with their bare hand or if someone touches them, they are able to see that person's thoughts and memories. There are many theories that they obtained this ability from their ancestors having absorbed the light of their moon, Vitrum."

"Vitrum? Isn't that the place where Putaverunt Crystals used to be mined?" Pidge had asked, and Mari had nearly choked on her food goo at the mention of it.

"Right you are, Number Six!" Coran had nodded enthusiastically. "The magical properties of the crystals are believed to have given some sort of power to the moonlight that affected the first Utearens, thus granting them telepathic abilities."

With this new piece of knowledge in mind, everyone remained vigilant whenever Scarlett was in the room. No one liked having their minds read and the Utearen was well aware of this fact. But that didn't stop her from doing it anyways to mess with the other residents of the ship. She didn't like Team Voltron, after all, and she enjoyed teasing them in this way. Shiro seemed to be the only she excluded from her harassment, whether it was because she knew about the mind-probing torture he'd endured in the past year or because she had grown to respect him, Mari wasn't sure.

But damn, struggling to avoid the little brat was getting so annoying and increasingly difficult.

"'Allura is looking as beautiful as ever today'," Scarlett announced loudly one morning during breakfast, her finger alighting on Lance's elbow. "'She's just as radiant as me.'"

"Hey!" Lance shrieked, his cheeks turning pink as he scrambled out of his seat to escape her reach before she could voice any more of his innermost thoughts. "Stop doing that!"

"Your thoughts are so funny though," Scarlett grinned devilishly, taking the now vacated chair and helping herself to a plate of Hunk's alien equivalent of a breakfast burrito. "Especially the rare ones where you actually think Mari is cute. Those are just priceless!"

"Fuck you," Mari growled from across the table, and Lance scowled at the Utearen as he relocated to the empty seat next to Pidge.

"Watch the language, Mariko. Takashi Oniichan doesn't like you using those kinds of naughty Earth terms," Scarlett tsked, and Mari spewed out her water.

"'Takashi…Oniichan'?" Pidge laughed, raising an eyebrow at Mari. Lance and Hunk were struggling to stifle their own giggles and even Keith was trying to hide his grin.

"I haven't been called that in years," Shiro mused, smiling fondly at his sister as he added half-jokingly, "Aww…I kind of miss you calling me that."

Mari blushed, her blood boiling from anger and embarrassment. "Ew! Don't say that, it's so creepy! It makes you sound like you have a sister complex, you pervert!" she shrilled and Shiro chuckled. Then turning to Scarlett, she furiously jabbed her fork at the alien girl. "And you! When the hell did you learn that?"

"You fell asleep on the observation deck last night. I struck then," the Utearen explained proudly. "You must've been having a nightmare or something cuz you were squirming and groaning a lot in your sleep too. It was hilarious."

 _Hilarious?_ Her dreams of Haggar torturing her were _funny_ to Scarlett? The poor fork snapped in half in Mari's iron-tight grip and she slammed a fist against the table.

"You little troll! Don't fuc—grrr! Don't _quiznaking_ touch me in my sleep! Don't touch me at all, _period_!"

Scarlett laughed to herself and took a bite of her burrito. "Now that's seven down and one to go," she declared triumphantly in between chewing. "All that's left is the enigma known as the Red Paladin."

Keith's usual frown deepened, but he said nothing as he watched the Utearen through narrowed eyes. Scarlett had managed to access all of their thoughts at least once since she came to stay at the Castle: Shiro when he had been comforting her on the bridge that first day, Hunk while he had been busy preparing lunch the other day, Allura when she had been stationed at the helm, and Coran when he had been showing her some of the inner workings of the ship. And now that she had gotten to Mari, Keith was the only one left who had successfully avoided making contact with the mischievous girl.

"It's only a matter of time before you slip up, Keeeiiith," she drawled, making him cringe. "The quiet ones always have some really dirty thoughts tucked away upstairs."

"Whatever. Believe what you want, but I'm not dirty minded like Lance," Keith said.  
"Yeah!" Lance exclaimed, only for his face to scrunch up as he registered what Keith was implying. "Wait, what?! I am not dirty minded, Mullet!"

"Your thoughts say otherwise…" Scarlett hummed nonchalantly, and Lance made an offended sound in the back of his throat.

"I am not dirty minded!" he insisted desperately.

"All right, that's enough everyone," Shiro chided despite the smile still lighting up his features. "Hurry up and finish breakfast. We still have those exterior repairs to complete today."

Wrapping up their meal, the paladins plus Mari suited up and ventured outside the Castle to wrap up the exterior repairs they had started the other day. Meanwhile, Allura, Coran, and Scarlett remained inside the ship to give them directions.

"I still don't get why we have to do these repairs," Lance whined as they hovered towards a panel on the upper side of the ship. "Shouldn't Coran be the one doing this? He knows this ship like the back of his hand."

"Nope, no can do, Number Three. I need to monitor the Castle's exterior systems from here," the older Altean replied over their comms. "I'll keep giving you step by step instructions on what to do, so don't worry. Just think of this as a team building exercise!"

"Cuz we all know you need that," Scarlett muttered. "Don't let Mari touch anything. She'll probably just create more problems for you to fix."

"You'd better shut up or else I'm gonna sew that rude mouth of yours shut!" Mari snarled and Scarlett yelped nervously.

"Knock it off you two," Shiro sighed. Mari and Scarlett were like water and oil. They were even worse than Keith and Lance when it came to bickering, and he was getting tired of having to chastise them. "Let's hurry up with these repairs. Zarkon could be here at any moment."

Hunk grabbed the handle and twisted the circular panel on the side of the ship before pulling it up, dragging out a glowing, screw-like cylinder. "Okay, panel's off," he said. "Now what?"

"Very simple. Just loosen the blaxums on the somoflange," Coran directed.

No one moved as they stared at the opened panel. "Could you be more specific?" Hunk asked.

"Sorry, Hunk. He means the poklones on the agroclams," Allura tried to clarify.

"No, that doesn't help," Hunk admitted.

"Just loosen the gythenals on the waefuhns," Scarlett pitched in.

"I have no idea what any of you are saying!" Hunk fretted, and Lance patted him on the shoulder.

"Easy, Hunk. I got this," he grinned confidently, and he proceeded to press several buttons and twist a knob on the panel. Suddenly, the whole cylinder turned a flashing red and a warning alarm went off.

"Uh-oh. That can't be good," Lance squeaked.

"No, not the smalters, the poklones!" Allura urged.

"No, no! It's the blaxums!" Coran insisted.

"Loosen the gythenals!" Scarlett demanded.

" _What_ are you talking about?" Keith exclaimed, getting annoyed by the alien jargon.

Before Allura or Coran or Scarlett could give anymore useless orders, Pidge grabbed ahold of the panel and took over. Her eyes flicked over the controls and she pressed several buttons, twisted a few knobs, and turned the panel hatch handle clockwise before pushing it down. The alarm immediately ceased and the red warning lights faded to blue once more.

"There," Pidge said simply. "Fixed."

"Well done, Pidge!" Allura complimented, obviously impressed.

"I figured you were the smartest of the bunch," Scarlett agreed. "Unlike a certain dirty-minded Blue Paladin."

"Hey! I was just trying to help," Lance pouted.

"Heh, and she thought _I'd_ be the one to create problems," Mari muttered, and Lance grumbled sourly under his breath.

"The tech on this ship never ceases to amaze me," Pidge gushed, her eyes sparkling with excitement as she gazed at the panel. "It's so mathematically elegant. Its fit is a hundred times more frictionless than any exoskeleton we have on Earth. It's… _beautiful._ "

"It's not a sunset, Pidge," Lance said, raising a quizzical eyebrow in her direction.

"You're right. A billion sunsets just happen every day," Pidge rolled her eyes. "Some genius engineer actually built this."

She pressed another button and the panel began to sink back into the side of the ship.

"Kinda looks like a big, delicious curly fry," Hunk observed, his mouth watering as he watched it lower. Suddenly a glowing ball of goop hit him smack dab in the head, catching him by surprise. "What the…?"

The Castle had flown into a cluster of small, gooey, glowing blue orbs, and they lazily floated past the group of humans.

"All right, we're prepared for this," Shiro said, summoning his shield to protect himself from the foreign squishy material. "Remember your rogue projectile cluster training from the Garrison. First, we need a temporary shelte—oof!"

He grunted as a ball of goo hit him in the head from behind, and he turned around to see Lance grinning sheepishly, frozen in a pitching position.

"Oh, sorry, Shiro," he apologized. "I was trying to hit Keith."

As soon as the words had left his mouth, Keith launched a chunk of the blue stuff at the Blue Paladin, smacking him right in the face.

"Like that?" Keith chuckled, grinning deviously. Another round of ammo was already clutched in his hand, ready to be released at any moment.

"Yes! Squishy asteroid fight!" Hunk cheered, grabbing the balls of goo out of the air.

The boys mercilessly hurled the so called "squishy asteroids" at one another like they were snowballs, leaving Mari and Pidge to watch them from the sidelines with unamused looks plastered to their faces. They exchanged a glance and rolled their eyes before they both sighed helplessly, "Boys."

"These are some strange asteroids though," Mari noted, plucking one of them out of the air and kneading it in her hands. It felt cold through her gloves and it was softer than food goo.

"I don't think these are asteroids," Pidge frowned, grabbing one of them and examining it closely. "Coran, I'm going to need a containment unit."

"Just a tick," he confirmed.

"Interesting…They're made of organic material," Scarlett mused as the Castle scanned the strange blue substance. "Definitely not asteroids, that's for sure. I've never seen anything like it."

"They appear to be some sort of hyper-resilient spore," Allura noted.

"This bioluminescent pulsing definitely doesn't seem natural," Pidge agreed. "It appears programmed. I think it's a code."

The spherical containment unit Coran had sent hovered towards her and popped open. She placed the spore inside and squinted at it in fascination.

Hunk paused amidst their blob battle and looked her way. "A code? From who?" he wondered just as another spore hit him in the face.

"I don't know," Pidge shrugged. "I mean, it makes no sense. You can't program a spore."

"You humans also thought aliens and magic and mind reading didn't exist," Scarlett pointed out dryly. "Yet here we are."

"You have a point," Pidge admitted.

"Well, if anyone can figure this out, it's you, Pidge," Shiro said, giving her an encouraging smile before he was knocked off balance by another spore to the head.

"Before that, everyone needs to come in for decontamination," Allura instructed, and a door in the side of the ship opened to let everyone inside to be cleaned up.

Going through the decontamination chamber was like being in a car wash. Spigots and shower heads in the ceiling and floor sprayed water everywhere, rinsing every last bit of the spore goo down the drains. Then soap was squirted on everyone and suds covered the floor as they scrubbed their armor. Next the whole room filled with water, washing away the soap and letting everyone soak for a good few dobashes. Finally, powerful fans in the wall blew everyone dry in seconds.

Afterwards, Pidge hunkered down in the Green Lion's hangar to start decrypting the code she believed the spore held. Although still wary of Pidge, Scarlett joined the Green Paladin, her interest piqued by their unusual finding.

Returning to her room, Mari changed out of her space suit and donned her regular attire before heading out for the training deck. She hadn't gotten the chance to train since before their infiltration of the Galra hub. And the last time she had used her staff in a fight was when she had fought Macidus, and that fiasco had ended with her losing her weapon and being kidnapped.

The thought of the Druid made Mari falter in her steps and a shiver wracked her body. With each passing day, she was finding it easier to push away the encroaching thoughts and ghost touches of the witch and her Druids. She was recovering little by little just like Shiro had said she would. But even so, the nightmares of torture still plagued her on a nightly basis, and every so often the memories would come out of nowhere in the middle of the day and threaten to swallow her whole. Sleeping in Shiro or Pidge's room or sometimes in the observation deck was becoming a routine occurrence. And a few days ago during dinner, she had had a panic attack after trying a spicy hot makeshift meatloaf Hunk had put together. It had reminded her of the poison that had been like fire in her veins, and Hunk had nearly cried as he apologized over and over again.

Mari hated scaring everyone like this, hated making them worry. She hated that she couldn't sleep alone in her own room without getting scared. She needed to get stronger so she wouldn't have to rely so heavily on the others. She wouldn't let her fear of Haggar or Macidus or any of the Druids control her. She had to be ready to face them again. She had to know how to _beat_ them, and that meant more practice with her staff. But would she even be able to face the Gladiator without triggering another flashback?

She hummed to herself in thought. Maybe it would be best to train with a buddy for now.

Turning on her heel, Mari walked back the way she had come, heading straight for the room of the paladin she knew would never turn down an opportunity to hone his skills on the training deck. She stopped in front of Keith's door, hesitating slightly before rapping her knuckles against the metal.

"Keith? It's me. Can I come in?" she asked, and there was a short pause before he finally responded.

"Who's 'me'?" he inquired snidely.

Mari tsked. "You know damn well who it is, Hothead!"

Without giving warning, she pressed a button on the panel next to the door and they slid open just in time for her to catch him quickly stashing something under his pillow.

"I didn't say you could come in!" he snapped, his voice cracking and his expression panicked.

"Yeah, well, that's what you get for being a dick," she said and Keith scowled. Her gaze fell on his pillow and she raised an eyebrow at him before smirking. "Oh ho, did I catch you doing something naughty?" she teased. "Were you reading a a dirty mag? Maybe Scarlett was right about the quiet ones having the dirtiest minds."

"As if I'd have that sort of thing," he huffed with a roll of his eyes, but he made no move to try and prove his innocence. "What do you want?"

"I want to practice with this on the training deck," she explained, patting her staff at her side. "And I was wondering if you want to come with me. Like, to spar or something." She nodded to his pillow as she slowly added, "But if you're too busy reading…"

"It's not a dirty magazine!" he insisted and Mari stifled the urge to laugh.

"So is that a yes?" she grinned.

Keith let out a heavy sigh before relenting. "Fine. Just give me a sec."

"To finish up reading?"

" _No_!"

* * *

 ****I do shoutouts now, so please feel free to leave a comment/review down below if you'd like to be mentioned in the next chapter! They are much appreciated & encourage me to keep writing this fic :D**

 ****Feel free to check out my tumblr too, which is pufftheninja.**


	7. Chapter 7

**Shoutout to **Ishval,** **DestinyDragons101,** and **rinpup14** for leaving comments last chapter! Thank you so much! I love hearing from you! :D

 **A/n:** So just a heads up, I'm entering the last weeks of the semester and finals are fast approaching. And unfortunately most of my finals are big projects, so I might not be able to upload a new chapter until after the 14th. I'll try my best to keep uploading weekly until then, but I make no promises. But I'm so mad cuz while everyone else is binging Season 8, I'll be packing up my stuff and wrapping up my last finals before I can go home that day. XD

 ****I do not own Voltron: Legendary Defender!**

* * *

Standing along the sides of the training deck, Mari and Keith prepped for their sparring match. Shrugging off her jacket, Mari neatly folded it and set it on the floor next to the wall while Keith just tossed his next to hers, eliciting an eye roll from the girl. They moved to the center of the deck and placed their weapons on the floor beside them as they began to stretch.

"You know, I don't think I've ever seen you use that thing," Mari noted mid-lunge, breaking the silence that had settled between them and nodding to the sheath attached to his belt.

Keith instantly stopped stretching his arm and his hand flew down to grip the handle of the small dagger. His eyes were wary as they narrowed at her, as if he were afraid that she'd make a grab for it.

"It's not exactly the best weapon to use in a fight," he said after a moment of hesitation. He casually released his hold on the knife, but his shoulders remained tense. "I'd rather use this."

Leaning down, he scooped up his bayard and waggled it at her before turning away and activating it. The paladin's weapon glowed as it transformed into his regular sword, and Mari hummed in thought and she plucked up her own weapon.

"And yet you still never leave home without that knife," she mused, expanding her staff to its full length, minus the spear tip.

Keith huffed and his usual scowl deepened, a telltale sign that he was getting annoyed. "Why are you so curious about it all of a sudden?" he demanded, the anger and defensiveness in his tone harsher than usual.

"Geez, I was just wondering," she muttered. "I mean, you were so interested in Ulaz's blade, your bayard is a sword, and you always carry around that dagger…it makes me think you've got an obsession with knives."

She had meant it as a joke in hopes to lighten up the conversation and she waited for him to protest. But Keith just grimaced and averted his gaze. He wasn't denying it.

"First the dirty mags and now the knife fetish? Wow, I'm learning a lot about you today," she teased, and as expected, that immediately set him off.

"I don't have dirty magazines! And I don't have a knife fetish! I just…think they're pretty cool, that's all," he snapped, his cheeks turning the lightest of pinks. Mari giggled, unused to seeing him this flustered, and Keith growled in frustration as he pointed his sword at her. "Come on, let's just fight already! You're the one who wanted to train in the first place."

"Okay, okay," she beamed, stifling the remnants of her laughter. She shifted into a defensive stance, her heart fluttering with a nervous excitement as she waited for him to make the first move. "I'm ready when you are."

Keith charged at her, his sword raised as he prepared to bring it down on her. The blade clanged again the metal of Mari's staff as she blocked it, and she grunted softly with the effort of pushing it out of the way and creating an opening for her to attack. In one swift movement, she brought the staff back around to strike his torso and Keith just barely dodged it. He spun around to slam the flat of his blade against her shoulder, but she dropped to the ground and swept his feet out from under him. He fell on his back with an 'oof' and he winced in pain. Before he could stand up again, Mari pinned him in place, thrusting her staff down so that the end of it hovered centimeters away from his face.

"Round one goes to me," she snickered, and the fury in his eyes was like a blazing fire. She had already been irritating the hell out of him, but now he looked absolutely _pissed_.

"Shut up!" Smacking her staff away, Keith scrambled to his feet, ready more than ever for their second round. "I'm not going easy on you this time."

As soon as Mari retook her defensive stance, Keith didn't even waste a second as he leapt forward. His sword slashed through the air to deliver the first blow, only for Mari to block it again. But before she could push back against the blade, Keith removed it and spun around so that he was on her unguarded side. She pivoted on her heel and brought up her staff just in time to prevent his blade from slamming into her head, the force of impact almost knocking her weapon out of her hands.

"Hey! Watch it!" she hissed through clenched teeth. "No blows above the neck!"

Keith tsked but said nothing as he lifted his sword and swung again, aiming this time for her unprotected hip. She glanced down and easily blocked the attack, but when she lifted her head again, she was greeted by a small silvery blade that was being held inches from her neck.

"I win round two," Keith gloated as he smirked triumphantly, and Mari bristled.

"What the—You said you wouldn't use that in a fight!" she growled, shoving his hand and the knife out of her face.

Keith grinned and lowered his second weapon to return it to the sheath at his side. "I said it's not the best weapon to use in the fight, not that I wouldn't ever use it in one. I'm just making use of the things I have," he corrected her with a small shrug. "Shiro wants us to be _resourceful_ , remember?"

Mari growled and rolled her eyes, her grip on her staff tightening. "Yeah, yeah, I know," she huffed, moving back a few steps as she readied herself for round three. "This time I get to start on the offensive, okay?"

Still unable to wipe the smug look off his face, Keith complied as he held his bayard protectively out in front of him. "Fine. Come at me then."

Her desire to redeem herself fueling her, Mari surged forward, her staff reeled back as if it were a baseball bat. She put all of her strength into swinging it, and it would've landed solidly against the side of Keith's stomach if he hadn't parried at the last second with his blade. The instant he blocked her attack, she swung her staff back again and aimed for the other side that was now unprotected. As she had hoped, Keith moved his sword to deflect her blow, but before her staff could connect with his sword, she changed directions at the last second and thrust the staff upwards towards his face. Startled by the fake out, Keith just barely managed to stumble back and avoid getting hit.

Now that he was off balance, Mari dove into delivering a flurry of thrusts and swings. She twirled her staff expertly all around her, like some giant pinwheel, defending herself from all three sides and pausing only momentarily to strike at any opening she could find: his ankle, knee, stomach, arm. She was being absolutely relentless, hardly giving him enough time to block her assaults and allowing him no chance to escape or counterattack. She was driving him closer and closer to the wall—it would only be a matter of time before she had him cornered and the third round went to her. The only reason she ended up halting in her advancement was because she suddenly felt something crawling up her leg and back before it settled on her shoulder and squeaked loudly in her ear.

Mari winced and dropped her staff mid-swing to cup her now ringing right ear. With her other hand, she snatched the mouse that had perched on her shoulder and held it in front of her in the middle of her palm. It was the largest of the space mice, Platt, and he had a flash drive-like object clamped in his mouth.

"Ow! Platt, what the quiznak was that for?" she exclaimed, and Platt just shrugged and smiled around the device in his mouth. "You interrupted our sparring."

She bent down and placed the chubby mouse on the floor. But no sooner did his paws touch the ground than he immediately scampered back up her leg to settle on her shoulder again.

"What? No, Platt! Stay there. Go find the other mice to play with," she huffed exasperatedly, picking him up and setting him on the floor once more. But as soon as she released him, he simply scurried up to her shoulder again.

"I guess this round's a tie," Keith noted, straightening and transforming his bayard back to its dormant form. "Let's take a break for now. We can start up again once he gets bored of you."

He scooped up her staff and pressed the button to retract it before handing it to her. Sighing, Mari relented and clipped her weapon to her belt. "Man, I was just about to win too," she grumbled in disappointment, and Keith rolled his eyes.

They both sat down against the wall near their jackets, catching their breath and wiping the sweat off their brows. Now that she was sitting, Platt migrated down to Mari's lap, curling up and hugging the flash drive as he began to doze off. Smiling slightly, she gently pet the mouse, absentmindedly wondering where he'd gotten the memory stick. Curious, she tried taking it from him, but Platt squeaked and chirped in protest, causing her to just leave it be.

After resting for several minutes in peaceful silence, Keith finally spoke, his tone hesitant. "Hey, do you—do you remember when we were exploring the Blue Lion's cave?" he asked out of the blue.

Mari raised an eyebrow at him. "How could I ever forget that? Those days were fun." She paused for a moment, before adding, "Why do you ask?"

"…You didn't see any Galra symbols or anything Galra related there, did you?"

Tapping her chin, she stared up at the ceiling in thought. "No, not that I can remember."

"Neither can I." Another minute of silence passed between them. "Do you think the Galra ever went to Earth?"

Mari shrugged. "I guess it's possible. But if that were the case, you'd think Earth would have been taken over by now."

"Do you think the Blue Lion was piloted by a Galra?"

"Maybe? I don't know. I'm just as clueless as you. If you're so curious about it, you should be asking Allura or Coran," she said, her annoyance spiking. Frowning, she cast him a concerned look. "You're awfully talkative today. What's with the sudden interest in the Galra and the Blue Lion?"

And just like that, all of Keith's walls shot back up. His brow furrowed and his eyes narrowed as he scowled and looked away from her. "It's nothing," he muttered, but before Mari could press the matter any further, Coran came bursting into the training deck.

"Aha! I've found you, Platt!" he exclaimed, pointing an accusing finger at the space mouse cuddled up with the flash drive. He sprinted towards the human pair and plucked the dozing mouse off of Mari's lap. "I'll be taking this back now."

Coran began trying to pry the memory stick out of the mouse's paws and Platt hissed in anger as he held on tightly to it. Exchanging a bewildered look, Mari and Keith rose to their feet and watched the Altean man struggle in his tug-of-war with the Altean mouse. After a few more ticks of pulling and trying to avoid getting his fingers bitten, Coran finally reclaimed the device from a pouting Platt.

"Haha! Take that you little thief!" he cheered in victory, and Platt squeaked and slouched in defeat before hopping out of Coran's hand and scurrying out the door.

"Uh, Coran? What was that all about?" Keith wondered, his expression doubtful as he awaited the Altean's answer.

"Hm? Oh, I was just organizing my valuables when one of the mice snatched this," he explained cheerful as he waved around the flash drive pinched between his fingers. "Must've gotten bored of playing with the princess's jewelry. I've been chasing him around the Castle for at least a varga now."

 _So I was just being used for sanctuary_ , Mari thought dryly to herself. "So what's so valuable about that drive?" she asked.

"It holds some pictures from my days as a youth," Coran shared, smiling at the device wistfully. "Images from my childhood all the way up to my days as King Alfor and Queen Melenor's advisor have been stored on here."

"Guess that really is an important item then," Mari mused and Coran nodded.

"There are also some really embarrassing photos on here that I'd rather not have anyone see," he admitted sheepishly. "I'll need to find a new hiding spot for it."

The Earthlings shared a skeptical look but said nothing as Coran safely tucked the drive into his pocket. But before they could question him, the Castle's intercom speakers suddenly flicked on as Pidge spoke through them.

"Guys, we found something! C'mere and check this out!"

* * *

Everyone met in the Green Lion's hangar and gathered around Pidge and Scarlett as they analyzed the data being displayed on Pidge's laptop. On the table next to them, the glowing blue spore hovered over a scanner that had been hooked up to the computer, and Hunk and Lance peered at it curiously.

"Oh, oh! I've seen this experiment," Hunk said with a small smile on his face. "But, question: Why do we need to get electricity from a potato?"

"What's a potato?" Scarlett asked, her face scrunching up in confusion.

"Oh, well, it's a starchy tuber that we have on Earth," Hunk was more than happy to explain. "They're about yea big,"—he held out his hands to show her their approximate size—"and you can make a bunch of delicious dishes out of them."

"Huh," Scarlett mused and she glanced back at the glowing gooey orb. "…But this is a spore, not a potato…"

"This has nothing to do with getting electricity from a potato, okay?" Pidge quickly intervened with a roll of her eyes. "We were able to crack the 'sporse code'—heh, _sporse_. We ran the bioluminescent pattern through a variety of code-breaking sequences, including this homemade virtual Turing machine. Of course, I had to make a few tweaks to the original design, because, obviously, there have been several advancements since he designed it. Although, you have to admit, Turing was a shining light in the world of science, in an age when far too many were still—"

"Pidge. What does it say?" Keith interrupted her rant, his impatience getting the better of him.

"Oh, yeah." She squinted at her laptop screen as she relayed the message aloud. "'Under attack. Galra. Help.' And then, there are coordinates."

"It's a distress signal," Shiro realized with dread. "Good work, you two. Coran, get those coordinates into the castle-ship's navigation system."

Within the varga, the Castle of Lions was making a beeline for the planet in need of help. It appeared within their sights in no time, and as they approached, Coran provided them with his acquired knowledge of the planet.

"It appears that the signal came from Olkarion, home to the Olkari. They're a proud class of engineers, builders of vast cities that could change shape at the whim of their creators," he elaborated once everyone had convened on the bridge after changing into their armor.

"They had a seemingly magical ability to manipulate solid metal," Allura added to his explanation. "With just a wave of their hands, they could build a computer inside a block of steel."

"Whoa," Pidge breathed in awe, her eyes twinkling with excitement as they locked onto the planet ahead of them.

"An Olkari once gave me this!" Coran beamed proudly as he produced a hovering cube that was no bigger than his hand.

"What is it?" Lance asked, mildly unimpressed.

"Uh, hello? It's a floating cube!" Coran chuckled. "Oh, this guy. And watch! My name is Coran and I'm a gorgeous man."

The band of light that wrapped around the little cube blinked and beeped in response before emitting an audio recording that repeated Coran verbatim: " _My name is Coran and I'm a gorgeous man._ "

Naturally, Pidge began fawning over the tiny cube, poking and fretting over it with stars in her eyes. Scarlett on the other hand seemed bored by it and her antenna drooped in disappointment.

"So it's just a recording device? I can make one of those in my sleep. How dull," she mumbled before turning and heading for the doors. "Well, I've lost all interest in this matter. Have fun handling this, you guys. Find me when it's dinner time."

With Zyron flitting by her side, she promptly exited the bridge, unable to care less about the situation at hand. Her haughtiness made Mari's blood boil and her hands curled into fists at her sides.

"What is her basic problem?" she huffed incredulously and Shiro sighed.

"She's still grieving," he began, but she shook her head in disagreement.

"I don't care if she's still grieving. That doesn't make it okay for her to act like a little bitc—"

"Mari, _don't_ ," Shiro warned, his voice stern and raised every so slightly as he cut her off. "Now is not the time."

Tsking, she scowled but kept her lips zipped.

"…So why would a society full of literal tech wizards use spores to send a distress signal?" Keith hesitantly wondered aloud, steering them back to the matter at hand and clearing some of the building tension in the air.

Pidge instantly whirled on him with an ecstatic grin plastered to her face. "Who cares?" she blurted out. "When do we get to see that city?"

"Actually, Pidge, the distress signal isn't coming from the city," Allura admitted and she brought up an image of leafy green trees on screen. "It's coming from the forest."

Pidge's face immediately fell and she groaned. "Oh. _Great_."

When the Castle finally came to a stop over Olkarion, Shiro addressed the team as a whole as he relayed their general plan. "Okay everyone. The Castle will be on standby in the upper atmosphere. Paladins, let's get to our lions and head down there to assess the situation."

"Right!"

"Can I come too?" Mari ventured to ask, catching Shiro before he could leave.

The small apologetic smile that formed on his face was enough of an answer for her, and she indignantly folded her arms across her chest even before he said, "Not this time."

"Why not? It won't be like the Galra hub mission. I promise I'll stay with the group this time," she tried, and she hoped it didn't sound like she was desperately begging.

"I know. But that's not why I want you to stay here."

"Is this because of what I said about Scarlett?"

"No, but it _does_ have to do with her," Shiro said. "Can you keep her company until we return?"

" _What?!_ " Mari hissed incredulously, making him flinch a bit. "No! No, no! Absolutely not! I am not babysitting her! This is like that time you guys went to the paladin training grounds all over again!"

"And see how well that worked out?" Shiro pointed out, trying to smile reassuringly. "You and Allura are friends now."

"At least with Allura she was mature and willing to try to strengthen our relationship!" Mari snapped. "Scarlett's just a kid who hates all of us except for you and maybe Pidge. She even said that she doesn't want to be friends with any of us!"

"That may be true. But just because she doesn't want us as friends doesn't mean we can't be friendly with her," Shiro chided. "Besides, I'm sure she's not always this hostile. She's just in mourning and doesn't know how to act around us in this new environment."

Mari shuffled from foot to foot, her glower deepening. "I still don't want to do this," she stated adamantly.

"Don't tell me you're afraid of a little girl, Mariko" Shiro teased. He knew exactly what buttons to push, and as predicted, irritation flared in his sister's eyes.

"Of course I'm not!" she objected. "She's just…so _infuriating_! And I don't want to risk her rooting around in my head anymore. Having her do that once to me was bad enough."

The thought of the Utearen girl probing her mind, digging deeper and deeper into her brain in search of secrets, made Mari cringe. It reminded her too much of Haggar, and a shiver ran down her spine.

Resting a hand on her shoulder, Shiro gave her a pleading look. "Tell me you'll at least _try_ talking to her?"

"No."

"Please? For me?"

"NO."

Shiro paused for a moment as he mulled over an idea. "I'll teach you how to fly one of the Altean pods if you do this," he proposed, succumbing to the option of bribery.

Mari's eyes instantly lit up at the sound of that and some of the tension left her shoulders. "Really? Are you serious?" she asked, her voice hopeful. "Even though I haven't taken all the required flight courses? Even though I haven't even tried the Garrison's simulator?"

He hesitated for a tick, but Shiro ultimately nodded. "But this is only if you make some improvement with Scarlett," he added quickly. "Got that?"

Mari would be lying if she said his proposal wasn't swaying her at all. An Altean transportation pod couldn't compare to the Voltron Lions, but it was still better than nothing. All that mattered was that she would finally, _finally_ get the chance to become a pilot! And all she had to do was talk to the arrogant blue-haired squirt.

"Do you promise you'll actually teach me to pilot if I do this?" she asked finally.

Shiro nodded, his eyes shining with sincerity. "I promise."

Sighing, Mari finally caved. "Okay. I'll try talking to her," she relented, and Shiro's grin widened like a kid's on Christmas.

"Thank you, sis!" He cast her one last reassuring look and bid her a final 'Good luck' before he left the bridge for the Black Lion's hangar.

* * *

 ****I do shoutouts now, so please feel free to leave a comment/review down below if you'd like to be mentioned in the next chapter! They are much appreciated & encourage me to keep writing this fic :D**

 ****Feel free to check out my tumblr too, which is pufftheninja.**


	8. Chapter 8

**Shoutout to **Ishval,** **rinpup14,** and **megane-chan** for leaving comments last chapter! Thanks much! I always love hearing from you! :D

 **megane-chan** : It's okay :) I'm glad you liked it! I always enjoy adding those kinds of cute moments lol. And thank you! I got through my finals in one piece, thank gosh.

 **A/n** : Sorry for not uploading these past 2 weeks. But I'm back now and on break for about a month, so I'll do my best to crank out as many chapters as possible.

 ****I do not own Voltron: Legendary Defender!**

* * *

It didn't take long for Mari to locate Scarlett. Allura had more than willingly pulled up the security camera feeds on screen and they had immediately spotted the blue-haired preteen exploring the Castle of Lion's extensive library.

Moving as quietly as she could, Mari made her way to the library and stepped inside the vast room full of alien knowledge. As one would expect of a castle, the library was _huge_. It had three levels, each one accessible by a set of grand stairs, and there were shelves upon shelves of electronic tablets lining the walls that held information contained in the Castle's research library core. The ceiling was naturally high, and as Mari gaped up at it, she could see holographic versions of the stars, moons, and planets that surrounded Olkarion.

She had never been to the Castle's library before, but it seemed fascinating. She wondered how many texts Pidge had already combed through here.

"Ew. What are _you_ doing here?"

Mari's eye twitched involuntarily and her gaze fell on the scowling Utearen. She had a tablet clutched in her hand as she leaned against the second floor railing to leer down at the human. Zyron sat on her shoulder and he instantly perked up to chirp in greeting.

"I didn't peg you for a reader considering you act like such a brute," Scarlett continued, her hostile glare never wavering. "I thought you would've gone down with the paladins to help the Olkari."

Mari could feel her cheeks grow warm and her hands curled into fists as her temper flared. _Don't blow up at her_ , she warned herself. _You can do this. Do it for the flight lessons._

Taking a deep breath, she steeled herself and forced her body to relax. "I'm not much of a reader," she admitted, straining to lift the corners of her lips into a smile. "But I do enjoy it from time to time. And I'll do it when I have to. I had to study a lot when I was younger."

"Yeah, I know," Scarlett rolled her eyes. "You weren't the brightest kid in your classes, yet you managed to graduate from your 'high school'—whatever that is—early so you could attend this thing called the 'Galaxy Garrison'."

"How do you know that?" Mari began, but the question died on her lips as she reminded herself that she was dealing with a mind reader here. How much of her past had Scarlett seen when she had peeked into her mind? Frowning in suspicion, Mari folded her arms in front of her and changed her inquiry: "What exactly did you see when you _invaded_ my head the other night?"

"Nothing much. Or rather, nothing interesting," Scarlett replied with a small smirk. "I only got bits and pieces of your childhood and schooling. Your head was a bit hard to navigate. Some parts of your mind were so guarded and the rest was so chaotic and disturbed by whatever you were dreaming about. It makes me wonder what sorts of secrets you have tucked away."

For a moment, Mari could swear Haggar was looming behind Scarlett, and she inhaled sharply as fear struck her heart. The witch was standing right there, yellow eyes glowing and her cruel sneer growing as Mari's distress skyrocketed. She rubbed her eyes furiously and blinked several times before the small Utearen came back into focus above her. Haggar was no where to be seen.

Quiznak. All this mind reading talk was making her see things.

Not missing her reaction, Scarlett raised a quizzical eyebrow but said nothing about it. Averting her gaze back to her tablet and continuing to scroll through it, she huffed impatiently, "So what are you doing here, really? Did you come just to bother me?"

"No. I told you, I'm here to read," Mari lied lamely. As if to prove her point, she plucked a random tablet out from the nearest shelf and squinted at the scribbly Altean lettering that flooded the screen. She had learned a few Altean words from her time spent staring at the screens on the bridge—she could recognize the inscriptions for 'warning' and 'lion' and 'Galra', for example—but her knowledge of the Altean alphabet was still severely limited, and she couldn't decipher the mess of letters that were being displayed on the screen she held.

As expected, Scarlett snorted in disbelief. "Yeah, right. I bet Shiro or Allura put you up to this."

Damn, she was perceptive. She was a child genius after all.

Sighing, Mari returned the tablet to its rightful spot and placed her hands on her hips before looking up at Scarlett again. "Okay, fine. Takashi wants us to spend more time with you," she admitted. "You know, cuz you're a part of our team now."

"And he sent you of all people to try and bond with me?" Scarlett laughed incredulously. "Thanks but no thanks. Like I already told you, I have zero interest in getting close to any of you jerks. Least of all, _you_ , Mariko Shirogane."

The way she pronounced her full name with absolute disgust made Mari bristle. She stood up straighter, and took several threatening steps towards the stairs that would take her to the second level. Scarlett's teal eyes flashed with something akin to fear and she took a small step back from the railing, but made no move to run and hide as the Earthling came to a halt at the foot of the stairs.

"Look," Mari said, her voice gruff as she delved into lecture mode. She sounded so much like her mother right now, and she cringed at the thought. "I know you're still upset about what happened to Ulaz. We're all still reeling about it. We won't rush your mourning, but the disrespect you're showing us has to stop. Even if you don't think so, we're all a team now. We're all friends here, and friends don't treat each other like garbage."

"Friends? None of you are my _friends._ And you will never _be_ my friends. I was perfectly happy living with Ulaz on the Thaldycon base, but Voltron ruined everything," the Utearen growled, poison dripping from her voice. "Hero of the universe? Protector of all people? Yeah right! Voltron doesn't live up to any of the legends I was told. It couldn't even defeat that stupid monster. Voltron is such a lie."

"The paladins aren't perfect, okay?" Mari fired back, her temper blazing anew. "They're still learning how to control Voltron. They could've totally beat that robeast if Ulaz had just given them the chance!"

"Don't blame this on him! If Voltron hadn't even come in the first place, none of this would have even happened! Ulaz would still be alive!"

"Ulaz was the one who told us to find him in the first place! Unlike you, he had faith in Voltron. He knew that it was the only thing that could rid the universe of Zarkon. And if he hadn't done what he did, Voltron would have perished and we would all have died anyways! Stop acting like his sacrifice was in vain!"

Scarlett made an offended sound in the back of her throat and Zyron beeped nervously. He hopped off her shoulder and landed on the railing as she moved to return her tablet to the shelf, practically slamming it into its designated slot.

As she turned back to look down at the Earthling, her gaze was as cold as ice as she finally stated, "Until Voltron can prove to be of some use, his sacrifice _was_ in vain as far as I'm concerned. Why do you care so much about what I think of Voltron anyways? It's not like you're one of the paladins controlling it."

"I care because the paladins are my friends and family," Mari said, her voice never wavering as she glowered back at the Utearen. "And I don't appreciate you unjustly criticizing them when you don't even know them."

"I don't need to know them to figure out that you're all just a bunch of weak liars."

For the love of—why was she being so quiznaking difficult? How did Ulaz ever stand being around her? Mari could feel her whole body getting hotter and the tension in her muscles was building as her fury threatened to peak.

 _Calm down, Mariko_ , a voice in the back of her head urged her gently. _Patience and being calm is key, remember? Patience yields focus. Don't mess this up or you can kiss the flight lessons goodbye._

Forcing herself to pause and take a deep breath, Mari took a few ticks to calm herself. Her muscles gradually relaxed and her anger and impatience were reduced to merely high levels of irritation. She had to keep her temper in check. If it erupted and spiraled out of control, that would just drive Scarlett even further away and her promise with Shiro would mean nothing.

Sighing heavily, Mari tiredly dragged a hand down her face and tried again. "We're not your enemies, Scarlett," she managed through gritted teeth, her voice gravelly as she struggled to keep the hostility out of her tone. "We're all working towards a common goal, and Voltron is our best chance to reach it. We've made it this far with Voltron, so have a little faith in us, will you?"

"I'll have faith in you all when klanmüirls fly," Scarlett chuckled dryly. "You're not exactly the most dependable bunch, if you haven't noticed. I mean, Lance is a girl-obsessed idiot, Hunk is a glutton, Keith is suspiciously edgy, Coran is a silly old man, and Allura is a stuck-up princess who is too stubborn to get over the fact that good Galra exist. And you, you're basically a waste of space on this ship. You can't pilot, you're not a paladin, and you can't operate the Castle. From what I've seen, the only ones who are actually competent here are Shiro and Pidge."

And just like that, Mari's irritation spiked right back up to rage in less than a tick.

"You know what? I've had it with you acting like a haughty brat!" she snapped, jabbing an accusatory finger at the girl. Her voice was loud enough to echo off the walls and cause Scarlett to startle, but she remained unfazed as she continued, "You don't understand a damn thing about me or Allura or Coran or any of the paladins! Stop talking like you know us when you so clearly don't!"

Now Scarlett looked vexed, if not a bit frightened. Her lower lip quivered and her eyes shimmered with tears, but the look she was casting the Earthling was one of absolute outrage and hurt.

"I could say the same thing about you and the others too, you know!" she cried, her voice just as shrill and thundering. "None of you know what I've been through! And none of you seem to care that you're the reason I've lost my family _again_!"

Her body trembled as she began sobbing vehemently, and Zyron fluttered frantically around her as she collapsed to her knees. She pressed the palms of her hands to her eyes, but it did nothing to staunch the flowing tears. "It's not fair, it's not fair!" she choked out in between her bawls. "Everyone I love always leaves me—my parents, Immea, and now Ulaz. Why do I always end up alone and unwanted? You don't have any idea how much it hurts!"

She thought Mari had never felt alone and unwanted? Had never experienced the agony that comes with losing someone you love? Mari would have laughed out loud if Scarlett hadn't been crying. The young Utearen really didn't know anything about her or the others on the team. She didn't know anything about Voltron or the heroic feats they had already accomplished. Scarlett was so stubborn, so closed off, that she never would understand them or Voltron unless she could open up about her own past and accept herself and reality for what it was first.

Scarlett was just like her in a way. If it hadn't been for Shiro's intervention on Arus, Mari was sure she'd still be lonely and miserable living on the Castle, the pain and fear and guilt building up and eating away at her gradually until she had a catastrophic breakdown. If Shiro hadn't taken that first step to help her, she wouldn't have felt reassured and comfortable enough to open up to the others. She wouldn't have trusted them. She wouldn't have seen them as her family.

This wasn't just about getting flight lessons anymore. This was about Scarlett's future on the Castle of Lions as an ally of Team Voltron and as their newest friend and family member. Scarlett needed someone to confide in and comfort her before she really did grow to hate Voltron. And if she was too stubborn to open up to the others first, then Mari was going to have to take the first step.

Without a word, Mari stomped up the steps to the second level and marched straight towards the whimpering Utearen child. Zyron jumped nervously and skittered along the railing as he chirped and whirled in warning. Having heard him, Scarlett fearfully brushed the newest tears from her eyes and flinched as she gaped up at the human girl towering over her.

"You don't think I know what any of that feels like?" Mari finally asked, her voice tight and eerily calm. "I know what it's like to be alone. I know how painful it is when someone you love hurts you or leaves you or doesn't want you. You have no idea what I've been through." She paused, taking a shaky breath to steady herself. "But you're right, Scarlett. We don't know what you've been through. And we never will know if you keep shoving us away. If you want us to know how you feel, you have to open up to us and talk to us first."

Scarlett sniffed, her shoulders tense as her glare remained as hostile as ever. "Why should I?" she croaked, her voice raw from her sobbing and yelling. "Even if I told you how I was feeling, I can't trust that any of you would understand. You can't relate to me."

"I think we have a lot more in common than you think." When Scarlett gave her a doubtful look, Mari sighed and steeled her nerves for what she was about to suggest. Kneeling down so that she was sitting right in front of the Utearen, Mari rolled back her right sleeve and held out her exposed arm to the alien girl. "Take a look for yourself if you don't believe me."

Scarlett's eyes widened in shock as she warily glanced between Mari and her arm. "Are—Are you serious? I thought you didn't want me rooting around in your head," she said, an eyebrow raising ever so slightly.

"I don't." Mari grimaced and swallowed thickly as a shiver ran down her spine. "But I don't know how else I can convince you. This is the only time I'm inviting you to take a look, so make it count. Look at what I've been through, but more importantly, see what Voltron's been through. Look at what the paladins have accomplished so far. Then tell me if you think you can trust us or not."

Scarlett stared at Mari's arm for a moment, her suspicion making her hesitate. "…Are you sure?"

"Your window of opportunity is closing in five, four, three…" Mari announced impatiently, and Scarlett scrambled to sit up straighter and scoot closer to the human.

"Fine! Fine!" she huffed. "I'll take a look." Her pale fingers reached out to grab Mari's wrist, only to come to a stop just centimeters over the Earthling's skin. Teal eyes met gray as Scarlett grimaced at the human and said in all seriousness, "I've never delved into a person's memories for this long. I haven't gotten the chance to practice using my skills, so…I don't really know what will happen. Are you still absolutely _sure_ you want to do this?"

 _No!_ Mari's brain screamed, but she found herself nodding curtly, her movements stiff as her jaw clenched.

"Just hurry up and do it already," she said, the order coming out unintentionally gruff.

Sighing, Scarlett finally relented. "Okay. But if something bad happens, don't say I didn't warn you."

Scarlett's fingers felt cold as they brushed against her skin, and Mari took one last deep breath before screwing her eyes shut and taking down all of her mental barriers. As soon as Scarlett's hand had wrapped around her wrist, an intrusive tingling sensation laced up her arm all the way to her head. She could feel a foreign presence invade her mind and it began to root around inside her brain. It was branching out all over the place, trying to dig deeper and deeper to access all her thoughts and memories. Everything felt so weird, like her brain was being sucked out and replaced with cotton. It was getting too overwhelming much too quickly. Mari was starting to feel sick.

It was starting to feel…too much like _her_.

Suddenly, a gnarled hand was wrapping around the back of Mari's neck and it began to squeeze. Her eyes flew open and she tried to claw frantically at her throat to pry the fingers off, but she couldn't move a muscle. It was like she had been frozen to the spot. The library was rapidly melting away into nothingness all around her, and Mari tried to yell for help as she was cast into an unending darkness.

The hand choking her had released her, but Mari's breaths were still coming in short ragged gasps as her panic and fear threatened to swallow her whole. She could feel her heart hammering against her ribcage and sweat was beginning to bead on her forehead. The only sound she could hear was the deafening rush of the blood in her ears.

Something started touching her. Invisible hands caressing her face, carding through her hair, sneaking down her torso and ghosting along her inner thighs. They were so invasive, so uncomfortable, Mari wanted to scream and curl in on herself and cry.

Haggar's cruel laughter filled the air and her heart nearly stopped as a pair of yellow eyes and a gleaming, toothy smirk manifested directly in front of her. Those awful golden orbs were boring into her, sending bursts of pain coursing through her body. It felt like millions of white hot needles and knives were piercing her, stabbing her, burning her over and over again.

The pain was unbearable and there was no way Mari could escape it. She couldn't look away, she couldn't get up and run, she couldn't even scream or cry hysterically for help.

 _It's not real, it's not real, it's not real,_ she frantically repeated over and over again like a mantra inside her head. _None of this is real. Haggar isn't here. This pain isn't real. It's not real, it's not real!_

Then all at once, the assault on her body ceased and the witch's sneering face disappeared, shimmering out of existence in an instant. Everything was eerily empty and silent again, and Mari took a shaky breath as she tried to regain her bearings. Her eyes raked across the darkness for any sign of Zarkon's servants, but they were nowhere to be seen. There was nothing to be seen, in fact. No Scarlett, no Zyron, nothing that indicated she was still aboard the Castle of Lions. There weren't even any stars or planets dotting the blackness and providing at least a little bit of light. Mari was alone in this never-ending void.

* * *

 ****I do shoutouts now, so please feel free to leave a comment/review down below if you'd like to be mentioned in the next chapter! They are much appreciated & encourage me to keep writing this fic :D**

 ****Feel free to check out my tumblr too, which is pufftheninja.**


	9. Chapter 9

**Shoutout to **Ishval** and **Micheal 13** for leaving comments last chapter! Thank you so much! I always enjoy hearing from ya! Also, thank you **Ishval** for helping me figure out Immea's appearance.

 **A/N** : Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas to those who celebrate it! :D

 ****I do not own Voltron: Legendary Defender!**

* * *

Mari's heart was thumping rapidly inside her chest and she placed a hand over it as if that would help to calm it. She straightened in her sitting position, closing her eyes and forcing herself to take slow and deep breaths. When her heart had slowed down to its regular rhythm and her head had cleared, she reopened her eyes only to be greeted by nothingness once more. Frowning, she pushed herself off the ground and squinted through the inky blackness for any sign of, well, _anything_.

"Scarlett?" There wasn't even an echo when Mari called out into the void. "Scarlett? Can you hear me?"

There was no response, not that she expected one.

Where the hell was she? Was she inside her own mind? If that was the case, there's no way it would be this dark and empty, right?

Before she considered the possibility any further, a pin prick of light appeared in the distance and it was growing closer at an alarming rate. The darkness around her began to fade away and Mari quickly shielded her eyes just as she was engulfed by the blinding white light. It took a few ticks before the brightness behind her eyelids faded and she cautiously pried open her eyes only to gasp.

Somehow, she had been transported to a whole other planet.

She was standing in the middle of a dirt street, broken buildings and rubble everywhere around her. Charred streaks and deep gashes from laser blasts and other weaponry scarred the ground and the crumbling walls. Several black clouds of smoke floated up into the air in the distance from unseeable sources. A few broken Galra sentries were scattered amongst the debris, a sure sign that this destruction had been Zarkon's doing.

But where the quiznak _was_ she? What was going on? How did she get here? She had to find someone and ask for help.

As if on cue, a figure emerged from around the street corner with two young girls following closely behind. The one leading the way wore a Blade of Marmora uniform, his face covered by his mask and hood. The two girls trailing faithfully behind him wore nothing more than ragged and dirty clothes. The taller of the two and clearly the oldest looked perhaps around seven or eight years old. Her skin was a light purple, her hair choppy and a bluish-purple, and her sclera were pale yellow while her irises were a familiar teal hue. A pair of short antenna peeked out on top of her head and there were distorted diamond birthmarks on her cheeks. She was tightly holding the hand of the younger girl as they hurried to follow the Blade, and Mari's eyes widened as she took in the little one's appearance: light blue feathery hair, longer antenna, blue diamond cheek birthmarks, teal eyes, and a pout that she had grown so used to seeing over the past few days. Although she was smaller and still had plenty of baby chub, that girl was definitely Scarlett.

So did that mean what she was seeing right now was Scarlett's memory? Scarlett _did_ say she hadn't done a full memory dive before. She was clearly still inexperienced when it came to controlling her powers. But still…How was this even possible? It freaked Mari out knowing that she was inside the Utearen's head. This was way too weird and invasive. She had to find a way to get out of here somehow.

Swallowing thickly, Mari hesitantly began to follow the trio down the street. They paid her no mind as they trekked over the potholes and wreckage, and when she tried calling out to them they didn't even react. She was invisible to them.

After a few more minutes of walking, they eventually came to a clearing near the outskirts of town. A small ship was waiting there along with a few more Blade members. They turned to the approaching group, their expressions unreadable beneath their masks. One of the largest Blades stepped forward and the trio came to a stop in front of him.

"Ulaz, who are these two?" he demanded to know as he nodded to the two girls in question, his voice gravely and deep.

The older girl's eyes narrowed and Scarlett whimpered before hiding behind her. Ulaz remained unfazed though and he placed a reassuring hand on the older child's shoulder.

"I found them amongst the survivors of this planet," he explained coolly.

"Our mission was to make sure all survivors were transported off Uteara. We will not take any of them back to the base with us," the large Blade countered, and he turned slightly to address the two girl. "You will be of no use to us."

The older girl looked miffed but she stood her ground. "B-But I'm part Galra!" she practically shouted. "I can help the Blades."

"She speaks the truth," Ulaz promised. "The locals have vouched for her lineage. Some even feared her for it. I offered to take her with us so she could train to be a Blade and she has accepted."

"What about this one?" the Blade gestured to Scarlett.

"This little one is a full-blooded Utearen," Ulaz admitted.

"I'm taking care of her cuz her parents died in the attack," the older girl explained. "She's my little sister."

The Blade was silent for a moment before he decided, "We will take the half-breed back with us. The little one will stay here."

A fierce anger immediately flared in the older girl's eyes and she instantly wrapped her arms protectively around Scarlett. "No! I'm not going with you unless she can come too!" she declared.

"She is not part Galra. She will have no place amongst the Blades," the large Blade stated, his tone deadpan, and the girl grimaced.

"All transportation ships have already left the planet," Ulaz pointed out. "This little one will not be able to survive on her own if we leave her here."

"The Blade of Marmora base is not an orphanage, Ulaz. A Utearen child will have no business being there."

"We need as many Blades as we can get, Antok," Ulaz argued. "And even if this little one is not Galra, she may be of use to us in the future. Utearens are known for their mind-reading abilities after all. We must take both of these children back with us. This is my decision and I take full responsibility."

The large Blade—Antok—seemed to growl in disagreement but he said nothing as he mulled over Ulaz's words. Finally, he relented and simply muttered, "Kolivan will not be pleased," before turning away from them.

As Antok motioned for the other Blades to prepare for departure, Ulaz sighed and glanced down at the two girls again. His tone was gentler as he inquired, "What are your names, little ones?"

A nervous grin formed on the older girl's face as she replied, "Immea." Then patting Scarlett's head she said, "And this is Scarlett."

Ulaz hummed in thought. "Immea and Scarlett," he repeated softly. "Antok is right, the Blade of Marmora base is no place to raise children. But, I will do my best to help you in any way that I can."

Suddenly, the scene around Mari blurred and began to fade away. For a brief terrifying tick, she was stuck in unending darkness again until another burst of light brought her to a new memory. This time, she was inside a vast room that reminded her of the Castle's training deck. The floors and walls were a light gray, blue, and silver color, with blue lights illuminating the space. It wasn't quite as dark and dreary as the interiors of Galra ships and facilities, but there were definitely some similarities in design.

Sitting off to the side of the room was a slightly older Scarlett. She was perhaps six or seven now, and she was wearing a plain one-piece body suit that reflected the Marmoran colors. She was absentmindedly tinkering with a handful of nuts and bolts and small scraps of metal as she patiently observed Immea sparring with an older female Blade member.

The older Blade was kicking Immea's butt in their training exercise, and she wasn't even using a blade to spar. While Immea struggled to wield her luxite blade, the more experienced woman was expertly parring, thrusting, and slashing with a blunt metal rod. It took mere ticks for her to send Immea's sword flying out of her hands, and the younger girl collapsed to her knees in exhaustion.

"Your balance was off again, Immea," the older Blade scolded as she lowered her practice weapon. "And your grip is too lax. You must keep a tight hold on your blade. It's the only one you'll ever receive and knowing how to wield it properly will save your life. You can't afford to lose it so easily in battle."

Irritation sparked in Immea's gaze as she watched the older woman move to pick up the girl's fallen sword. "Like you're one to talk, Krolia," she muttered in between pants, and Scarlett clapped a hand over her mouth to stifle her gasp.

Turning back to Immea, the older female Blade—Krolia—had narrowed her eyes and the scowl on her face was a sure sign of her anger. But her voice remained chillingly level as she said, "I did not _lose_ my blade in battle. I gave it to someone very important to me for reasons you don't need to understand. Instead of questioning your trainers, I suggest you focus on improving your swordsmanship. You are the youngest member here, and if you do not catch up quickly, you will be left behind."

She promptly placed Immea's sword back in her hands and the younger girl huffed before hauling herself back onto her feet. Krolia held her practice weapon at the ready and she and Immea proceeded to spar again, with Krolia giving advice all throughout the session.

Meanwhile, the doors to the training deck opened on the other side of the room, and three fairly young-looking trainees entered. They smiled slightly as they watched Immea struggle against Krolia.

"Looks like Krolia's whipping Immea into shape," the Blade in the middle chuckled. "She's gonna be a great fighter in no time."

"Maybe Krolia can beat some of the sass out of her too," the one to his left grinned and the other two nodded in playful agreement.

The one on the right blinked in surprise as he noticed Scarlett sitting along the wall. "The Utearen's in here again," he noted, unaware or maybe uncaring that Scarlett was able to hear him.

The other two immediately glanced at her, frowns forming on their faces. "She follows Immea around all the time," the middle one rolled his eyes. "Of course she'd be here."

"I still don't understand why we're keeping her here at the base. It's not like she's contributing in any way."

"It's because Ulaz still thinks she'll be able to help us with her mind-reading abilities. Plus Immea will leave if she's kicked out."

"How annoying."

Scarlett's antenna drooped slightly and she bit her bottom lip. Her eyes looked watery and she quickly rubbed them to stop the tears from escaping. She didn't want any of the Blades to see her cry. She didn't want Immea to worry. Watching it made Mari's heart hurt—it reminded her too much of herself.

The scene changed again and was replaced with what appeared to be a workshop setting. There were shelves filled with tools lining the sides of the room and a holoscreen and computer took up the far back wall. Two workbenches sat in the middle of the room, each one covered with blueprints and miscellaneous machinery. Near the end of the room, Ulaz was showing a young Scarlett how to operate the computer systems.

"A brilliant mind should not be ignored. It should be nurtured and encouraged to grow and develop," he was explaining as he cast Scarlett a knowing look. "You have exceptional ideas, little one, ideas that could greatly aid our fight against Zarkon. To make these ideas become reality, Kolivan has granted you the use of this room. The Blade will provide any materials you need as long as they are within reason."

Scarlett's teal eyes glittered with excitement as she took in the plethora of equipment surrounding her. "Does that mean I'll get to experiment with luxite? Oh! Can I forge new swords?" she beamed up expectantly at the Galra male.

"You are permitted to design new blades, but I am afraid Kolivan will not allow you to work with the luxite," Ulaz admitted and Scarlett's antenna drooped slightly as she pouted in disappointment.

"Okay, fine," she mumbled. She slouched over to one of the work tables and hopped up onto one of the stools next to it. Her antenna perked up slightly and a small grin formed on her face as she began to flip through the nearby blueprint sheets. "Ooh what should I get started on first?" she wondered aloud, beginning to practically bounce up and down in her seat. She glanced back at the Blade and exclaimed, "Ulaz, help me decide!"

"I am sure anything you choose will suffice for a first project," he said, moving to stand next to her. He gently patted her head and his expression saddened ever so slightly. "I must be going now, little one. There is much for me to do."

Scarlett's enthusiasm instantly vanished and she looked up at him with a frown. "Is it another mission?" she asked. When Ulaz nodded, she added, "How long is it this time?"

Ulaz's expression never wavered as he replied, "For however long it needs to be."

"It's an undercover mission this time, isn't it?" Scarlett concluded and Ulaz nodded again. "Why does Kolivan have to send you? Aren't there any other Blades that can do it?"

"All of our senior members have already been sent on their own undercover missions. They are dangerous and highly important jobs and Kolivan does not want to risk sending any of the younger and less experienced Blades to complete them," Ulaz explained.

"But I don't want you to go!" Scarlett cried, and she took Ulaz by surprise when she wrapped her tiny arms around his waist, clinging to him like a koala. "I don't wanna be alone."

Ulaz sighed softly but made no move to pry her off. "You will not be alone, little one," he promised her. "You will still have your sister, remember?"

Scarlett furiously shook her head and sniffled. "Immea's always training with the other Blades," she said, her voice muffled as she buried her face into Ulaz's stomach. "She's always busy. And soon Kolivan's gonna send her out on missions."

Unable to deny it, Ulaz stood there in silence for a long time. When his wrist gauntlet beeped in warning, Scarlett scowled at it, but reluctantly released him from her hold.

"I am sorry, little one," Ulaz apologized, his tone gentle. "But I must go now."

Scarlett grumbled something unintelligible under her breath and turned away from him. She propped her elbows up on the table and placed her head in her hands as she angrily glared at the door.

Unfazed by her obvious anger, Ulaz gave her another reassuring pat on the head. "I will return," he said. "Until then, be patient and behave. Do not cause Kolivan any problems."

After receiving a a mumbled 'Okay', he turned to leave. Scarlett's eyes followed him as he headed towards the exit, and she bit her lip anxiously before calling out to him. "Ulaz?"

Ulaz stopped in the doorway and paused to look back at her, waiting for her to speak. Squirming in her seat for a tick, Scarlett forced a tiny smile and said hesitantly, "I love you! S-Stay safe."

The way Ulaz's eyes widened indicated that he hadn't been expecting those words. Mari waited for him to respond with a similar affectionate phrase of farewell. But he simply nodded in reply before disappearing into the hallway without another word, leaving Scarlett all alone. He never saw her bury her face in her hands as she began to cry quietly to herself.

* * *

 **A/N:** Sketches of Immea are on my tumblr now if you're interested in seeing what she looks like.

 ****I do shoutouts now, so please feel free to leave a comment/review down below if you'd like to be mentioned in the next chapter! They are much appreciated & encourage me to keep writing this fic :D**

 ****Feel free to check out my tumblr too, which is pufftheninja.**


	10. Chapter 10

**Shoutout to **rinpup14** and **Ishval** for leaving comments last chapter! Thank you very much! I always appreciate hearing from you!

 **A/N:** Happy New Year everyone! More of this series will continue this year. Let's hope for even better times in 2019!

 ****I do not own Voltron: Legendary Defender!**

* * *

Scarlett spent most of her days building projects alone in her workshop. She started eating her meals and sleeping there, feeling uneasy and unwelcome walking through the halls of the Marmoran base all by herself. Sometimes Blades would come by to drop off blueprints or to collect completed projects, exchanging few or no words with the Utearen. On rare occasions, Immea would visit and Scarlett's entire face would light up as they'd talk to each other about recent jobs and missions. But Immea never stayed for longer than half a varga, and as soon as she left, Scarlett's antennae would sag and she'd regain that lifeless look in her eyes. The workshop was starting to remind Mari of a prison with the way the young alien girl was confining herself to the room. Her lack of interaction with others would certainly explain her currently crass social skills.

One day, Scarlett seemed unusually lively. She hummed excitedly to herself as she screwed a hatch shut on a small robot, and when Mari looked closer, she realized it was a crude prototype of Zyron. The Utearen set her work upright on the table in front of her and the little bot immediately flickered to life. His eyeballs glowed dimly and swiveled in their sockets before focusing on her. He blinked once, twice, before chirping in greeting and granting her a small wave.

An ecstatic squeal of excitement escaped Scarlett's lips and she clapped her hands together. "Yes, yes! You're finally working!" she cheered.

She slid off her stool and scrambled to grab a tablet that sat on the nearest shelf before returning to her seat. Swiping through several tabs on the small screen, she stopped on a checklist she had created earlier. "Okay, Zyron 1.0," she began. "Let's check your basic systems and functions. Flashlight on."

Zyron blinked and his eyes instantly produced a bright beam of light that made Scarlett wince and screw her own eyes shut. But she was grinning nonetheless, and she shielded her face as she said, "The flashlight feature is looking good. You can turn it off now, please."

The robot blinked again and the light died down. Scarlett promptly checked it off her list with a stylus. "Next, motor skills. Try walking."

The robot obediently rose to his feet and took a few cautious steps on tiny wobbly legs. He took several practice steps before comfortably walking to the edge of the table and back. He tried running next, and it took him practically no time at all to get used to it as well. He could proudly scurry across the table with ease, and Scarlett checked it off with a smile on her face.

"Okay, walking and running seems good. Now how about flying?"

Zyron came to a halt in front of her and emitted a string of beeps and tweets, cocking his head to one side unsurely.

"This is just a systems check, it's okay if you're not good at it. But we won't know if you actually _can_ fly if you never try," she said as she twirled the stylus in her hand. "Just try powering up the hover pads on the bottoms of your feet."

He bleeped in confirmation and glanced down at his feet. Very faintly, they began to glow and he shakily rose up off the table until he was hovering at eye level with the Utearen child. His balance had yet to be perfected, but he successfully made his way over to her shoulder and perched there in triumph.

"All right! See? There was nothing to be afraid of. And it seems that your communication controls are working quite well. Nicely done, little guy!" Scarlett complimented him, checking off another two boxes on her list. "Now then, our last general test: let's see if you've been properly hooked up to the workshop's systems."

Carefully cupping Zyron in the palms of her hands, she set him down on the bench again. "Okay, little guy. Try turning the room lights on and off."

As commanded, the robot remotely flicked the overhead lights on and off.

"Now how about opening and closing the door?"

The door at the end of the room slid open and closed smoothly without anyone touching the control pad next to it.

"Good! Last thing: try opening File GG-0203 on the computer."

On the large screen behind them, a hidden file opened to reveal several blueprints and a flurry of numerical codes. They were the first designs of the Thaldycon base gravity generator, Mari realized, and her jaw dropped. Scarlett was still very young in this memory, appearing to be around maybe ten years old, yet she was already working on creating a complex piece of machinery that would be able to _fold_ _space_.

Suddenly, the door opened and a tall Blade stepped into the room. His attire was noticeably different than the other members of the Blade of Marmora and his expression seemed to be frozen in a permanent frown. He gave off an air of seriousness, and from the way he carried himself, Mari figured he must be a Blade of higher ranking. Scarlett stiffened in her seat when she saw him and the smile on her face faded away in an instant.

"K-Kolivan," she stammered as he approached her. "What—What are you doing here?"

The Galran—Kolivan—looked at her through unreadable yellow eyes. "What is the status of the gravity generator?" he asked, his voice deadpan. "Have you finished the initial designs for it?"

Scarlett didn't miss a beat as she nodded and gestured to the computer screens. "Yes sir!" she replied. "I've made all the final adjustments to the blueprints and all the calculations have been quadruple checked and are correct. Now I just need the time and materials to build it."

Kolivan stared at the data and images on screen for a moment before asking coolly, "How long have you had this part of the project done?"

The Utearen hesitated for a moment before saying, "About two days now."

"I thought I told you to inform me immediately when you had finished it."

Scarlett squirmed nervously in her seat. "I-I know. I just…It's just that I've had this idea in my head for a while now, and I really wanted to try it, so…I spent the last two days working on him."

"'Him'?" Kolivan repeated and Scarlett nodded.

"This is Zyron 1.0," she introduced the little bot, holding him up for Kolivan to see. "I linked him to this room's systems and he's got a flashlight function. I wanna try making him a sort of security robot. He'll be like my little helper."

Zyron beeped in hello at Kolivan, but the Blade remained unamused. His frown only seemed to deepen and his brow furrowed as he towered over Scarlett. "You were not given this lab to waste time and materials making useless toys," he said, a hint of anger in his voice.

The small bot wilted a bit in Scarlett's hands and she frowned at Kolivan. She gently placed Zyron on the table and looked away as she mumbled, "He's not useless, he's my friend. It's lonely here and he makes good company."

"You should not be concerning yourself with making 'friends'. Helping the Blades is your top priority," Kolivan scolded. "That robot is of no use to us. Dismantle it immediately."

Scarlett's head sagged but she made no verbal indication that she would do as she was told. Nevertheless, Kolivan turned his back to her and began to head towards the door.

"You will be moving to another lab within the next few quintants to begin the construction of the generator," he explained. "We've come into contact with a Bytor engineer named Slav to assist us with this project. He will look over your plans and make any necessary changes, and he will be in charge of the generator's construction."

"What?!" Scarlett shrilled, her head whipping up to look at him. She slammed her hands on the table. "No way! Those are _my_ plans! I don't need anyone else changing them! I don't want someone else taking control of my creation!"

Kolivan paused in the doorway and turned to her, his gaze as steely as ever. "Despite your advanced intelligence, you are still a child," he said, his tone stern. "It is too important that this generator be successfully completed. There can be no mistakes in its design and construction, and I will not have any time, energy, or materials be wasted in the process. I will not give you, a _child_ , control over this operation."

With that, Kolivan exited the room. As soon as the doors slid shut behind him, Scarlett let out a furious growl and banged her fist on the table, causing Zyron to startle. Her eyes were glistening with fresh tears and she rubbed at them angrily as she whispered, "I'm _not_ a child. I'm not a child!"

But Scarlett was a child. She was a child genius, a prodigy, and yet the Blades still doubted her skills. Keeping her holed up in their base, they may have been keeping her safe from Zarkon, but they were stunting her growth in more ways than one. There was a limit on her experimentation, she wasn't treated as an equal, and the Blades practically ignored her unless she created something useful for them. The young Utearen may not have realized it, but she was suffering emotionally, mentally, and socially because of the strict and inexpressive nature of the Blades of Marmora.

The scene changed again and the workshop was replaced by a hangar. Scarlett looked to be about twelve or thirteen now, and she stood next to the door with Zyron sitting on her shoulder. Her face was paler than usual and there were bags under her eyes. She looked exhausted, but her eyes were gleaming with something akin to excitement as she watched a pair of Blade members disembark a recently landed ship. The taller of the duo took the lead, silently passing through the door and paying Scarlett no mind, but the second Blade came to a halt in front of the Utearen girl. They slowly removed their hood and mask, revealing a melancholy Immea.

"What are you doing here?" Immea's voice contained no warmth. It was almost unwelcoming. "Aren't you supposed to be working on some project right now?"

Scarlett frowned at her sister's tone. "I've finished the new blade designs," she said, her gaze never wavering as she stared up at Immea. "I'm taking a break now."

"Oh. Is that so?" Immea murmured. She sighed and dragged a hand down her face tiredly before brushing past Scarlett. The Utearen raised a quizzical eyebrow before following her through the door.

"How'd your mission go?" Scarlett asked, having to jog to match Immea's pace. "You were gone for about a movement. I was getting worried."

Immea's brow furrowed and she pursed her lips. "The mission was a failure," she replied through gritted teeth.

"Oh no…What happened?"

"We didn't find the information we were looking for. We wasted a whole movement and it was a false lead this entire time!" Immea growled, her antennae glowing with her elevating frustration.

"It's okay, Immea," Scarlett tried to calm her, and she forced her lips to curl into a small smile. "I'm just glad you came back safely. What matters is that you're alive and well. It will be all right."

"No, it won't!" Immea snapped, coming to a halt and whirling on the younger girl. Her teal eyes were bright with guilt and rage. "We failed our mission, Scarlett! We killed Galra soldiers for nothing! We lost one of our own for nothing!"

Scarlett swallowed fearfully, unused to seeing her sister in this state. "I-It'll be okay, Immea—"

"Stop saying that! It isn't 'okay'! It _won't_ be 'okay'!" Immea cut her off. "You've never been out there fighting, you don't understand. You don't understand a single thing about losing a comrade or letting other people down. You don't know how much it hurts!"

Scarlett's eyes flashed with irritation and her small hands curled into fists at her sides. "Of course I wouldn't know! I'm not allowed to go anywhere or do anything, and no one comes near me on this stupid base!" she fired back just as fiercely. "But I can't expect you to have known that since you're never here anymore."

"That's your own fault, not mine," Immea spat back. "Maybe you should leave your workshop for once and interact with the other Blades. You know, make an effort to get to know them?"

"That's not the point, Immea!" Scarlett shrilled with a small stomp of her foot. "How am I supposed to understand _you_ and what _you're_ feeling if you're never here for me? You're always on missions, you don't come by to talk to me anymore. Why are you ignoring me?"

"Have you ever considered that it's because you can be so annoying? I need space! I can't always be there for you so stop using me as a crutch already! Can't you just take a hint and learn to leave me alone?"

Scarlett's eyes widened, betrayal and hurt etched into her features as she took a small step back from the Blade. She opened her mouth to say something, her bottom lip quivering, but she clamped it shut, completely at a loss for words. Having realized what she'd said, regret immediately struck Immea and her expression softened as the guilt took over.

"I-I'm sorry, Scar," she whispered, her voice sounding broken and strained. "I didn't mean any of that. I'm just—I'm just so, so mad at myself and our situation and I…I don't know how much more of this I can take."

Biting her lip, Scarlett took a deep breath and shook her head. "Our situation sucks, I know," she said, her voice low and wavering slightly. "But you have a home here. You have friends. The Blades don't look at you like you're a freak, they don't use you for your creations. They accept you. You're the one who chose this life for us, so you shouldn't be complaining. You shouldn't be lashing out at me when I didn't even do anything to you!"

Scarlett grit her teeth and furiously brushed away the tears building in her eyes. Immea looked like she had been punched in the gut, and her face turned pleading as she reached out for the smaller girl. "Scarlett, I didn't mean—"

"I know exactly what you meant! You're just like all the others," Scarlett shouted and she took two steps away from her. "If you want me to leave you alone, then fine! I don't need you anyways!"

Whirling on her heel, Scarlett sprinted down the hallway, ignoring Immea's shouts for her to come back as she put as much distance as possible between them.

Heavy feelings of rage and sadness had been gradually building in the air, and with the passing of this memory they seemed to increase twofold. They were beginning to physically weigh Mari down; it was getting harder to breathe and her body felt like lead. As the scene disappeared, she bent over and placed her hands on her knees as she tried to catch her breath. It was getting dangerous staying in Scarlett's mind for this long. The emotions that accompanied her memories were starting to suffocate the human.

 _I've gotta find a way out of here soon_ , Mari thought vaguely to herself as she glanced around the darkness. But before she could begin to search for an exit, the setting changed again and she cursed under her breath.

Scarlett was in her workshop again, scowling as she worked on reattaching one of Zyron's antenna to his head. The little robot looked newer now, sleeker and more like the Zyron that they had first met on the Thaldycon base.

"There," she murmured in finality as she released him. "All fixed. No more flying at full speed down the hallway. You're lucky your antenna was the only thing knocked out of place when you ran into that Blade."

Zyron chirped sheepishly and sat down on the table. Sighing, Scarlett poked him gently in the tummy. "It's okay. Just be more careful next time. I don't want one of those brutes accidentally crushing you."

Suddenly, the door to the workshop slid open and Scarlett straightened in her seat as a familiar Blade entered the room. Her jaw dropped and her entire face lit up with joy as she realized that it was Ulaz. Nearly leaping off her stool, she charged towards him and tightly embraced the Galran male.

"Ulaz! You're finally back!" Scarlett cheered, glancing up to flash him an ecstatic grin. "It's been so long since I've seen you! I've missed you a lot."

His stoic expression never changing, Ulaz pat her head and said, "I have missed you too, little one. I am glad to see that you are well. You've grown quite a bit."

"Heh, barely," Scarlett chuckled dryly. "Compared to everyone else here, I'm still a runt."

Releasing her hold on him, she stepped back and plucked Zyron up off the table. "Look, look! I made this little guy. His name is Zyron," she said, holding out the robot for Ulaz to see. "I've also built a lot of other stuff while you were gone. I had to work with this Bytor named Slav a few times to design and build them, and he was really smart but crazy annoying. I can't wait to show you everything!"

She began to head towards the computer to bring up her project files, but she stopped herself midway and turned back to Ulaz. "Oh! But before that, how'd your mission go?" she asked, genuine curiosity making her hurry back to her workbench. She hopped back onto her seat and placed her elbows on the table as she rested her chin in her hands. She looked at him expectantly, waiting for him to start sharing the details of his last assignment.

Ulaz was silent for a moment, watching her carefully before deciding to answer her question. "Although Kolivan thinks otherwise, I believe it was a success," he said. "The Blue Lion of Voltron was found on the planet Earth. I saved a prisoner from one of Zarkon's witch's experiments and helped him to escape so he could get to the lion before the Galra fleets."

"Wait, another part of Voltron's been found?" Scarlett exclaimed and Ulaz nodded. "And you sent a _prisoner_ to go get it?"

"He was not an ordinary prisoner. He was an Earthling and a champion of the gladiator arena. He is a strong fighter and leader and he gave many people hope," Ulaz explained. "Unfortunately, my assistance in his escape compromised my position and I had to escape."

"So what now?" Scarlett asked. "We don't even know if the human made it to Earth or if he found the lion."

"I gave him the coordinates to the Thaldycon base. If he survives and manages to find Voltron, he will go there. All we can do is wait for now and hope for his success."

"That's a pretty big gamble," Scarlett noted, frowning slightly. "I thought Blades weren't supposed to take big risks."

"And that is precisely why Kolivan is displeased," Ulaz admitted. "But we cannot remain cautious forever. Voltron is our only hope to defeat Zarkon and bring peace to the universe. And I believe that the human Shiro is destined to play a role in Voltron's return."

The Utearen hummed in thought but didn't question Ulaz. "So what will you do now that you're back?" she asked, and her antennae drooped a bit as she wondered, "Will you be going on another mission?"

The Blade shook his head solemnly. "Seeing as I was the one that gave the Earthling the coordinates to our communications outpost in the Thaldycon system, Kolivan has assigned me to operate the base. I will wait for Shiro there," he said. "And you, little one, will be coming with me."

Scarlett was silent for a long moment and she blinked twice at him. "Huh?"

"I have been given permission to bring you with me to the base," Ulaz clarified. "You will be able to assess the progress of your gravity generator and make any necessary repairs to it. You will also be able to freely invent whatever you'd like as long as you continue to work on projects for the Blade."

"R-Really?!" Scarlett squeaked and Ulaz nodded. A brilliant grin spread out across her face and she jumped up from her seat. "That's—That's wonderful! How soon can we leave?"

"Once you have packed your things, we will go."

As Scarlett began to scramble around the workshop to pack up her favorite tools, the scene started to fade away and it was replaced with a flurry of memory snippets. Ulaz giving a small dagger to Scarlett and teaching her the basics of how to properly wield it; Scarlett getting to wear her own clothes instead of the Blade's attire; Scarlett hooking Zyron up to the base's systems; Scarlett following Ulaz as they snuck onto the Castle of Lions; Scarlett creeping down the halls until she spotted Mari and attacked her in a panic; Scarlett showing Pidge her recent projects and old blueprints; Ulaz giving Scarlett command of the base before leaving with the gravity generator; Scarlett screaming as Ulaz drove straight into the jaws of the robeast.

Mari inhaled sharply as a wave of fury and sorrow hit her. Her chest heaved and her eyes stung as tears began to stream down her face. Scarlett was so angry at Zarkon, at Voltron, at everyone. She was hurting so, so much and her emotions were overwhelming.

The last of the memory was fading away into nothingness, leaving Mari in the unending darkness again. The pain began to subside and she could breathe again, but she could still hear Scarlett's cries ringing in her ears. Grimacing, she straightened and wrapped her arms around herself as she tried to process everything she had just learned about the Utearen girl.

Scarlett had been hurting for practically her entire life. She'd been spurned by those who took her in. She'd lost the ones she'd loved the most, whether it was to Zarkon's forces or to the Blade's harsh lifestyle. She was surrounded by many people but she had always felt so alone. No one besides Ulaz and Immea had ever made the effort to understand her or care for her. No one had made the effort to get to know her and be her friend. She couldn't trust anyone and didn't dare get close to others. She was too afraid that she'd lose them, just as she had lost everyone else important in her life.

An invisible force was gently tugging at Mari and she looked up to see another bright light growing closer in the distance. She hoped that she was finally returning to her own mind, and she closed her eyes as the light engulfed her. When she woke up, she'd be ready to face Scarlett.

* * *

 ****I do shoutouts now, so please feel free to leave a comment/review down below if you'd like to be mentioned in the next chapter! They are much appreciated & encourage me to keep writing this fic :D**

 ****Feel free to check out my tumblr too, which is pufftheninja.**


	11. Chapter 11

**Shoutout to **Micheal 13, Ishval,** **Mercedes1312,** **rinpup14,** and **GreenLilly** for leaving comments last chapter! Thank you so very much! I always appreciate hearing from you! Also, special thank you to **GreenLilly**! I love the post you made about Mari on tumblr! If anyone wants to check it out, please visit my tumblr page or GreenLilly's page, **iceandwaterfairytail**.

 **A/n:** Hello, hello. Sorry I didn't post this chapter earlier this week. I've been doing stuff around the house and I got hooked on the anime _Banana Fish_ , so I've been binge watching it for the past few days. It is surprisingly really good lol.

 ****I do not own Voltron: Legendary Defender!**

* * *

As soon as Scarlett's fingers made contact with the Earthling's skin, she could feel her fleeting thoughts flowing into her mind. Taking a deep breath, she gently pushed past these and began to dig deeper. She reached out over the vast expanse that was Mari's mind, searching for any significant memories pertaining to the human's past or Voltron's so called "heroic" deeds. She hadn't been looking for more than a dobash when a recently made memory popped up right in front of her: it was Mari's incentive. A scowl forming on her face, Scarlett watched as Shiro asked his sister to talk to her in exchange for flight lessons. What a conniving pair the Shiroganes were.

 _So that's why you were so intent on reasoning with me_ , Scarlett thought dryly. _It's not like you actually cared._

But…was that really the case? They had come to her in a flurry, but Mari's thoughts radiated fear. She was terrified of doing this, terrified to have someone rooting around inside of her head. And yet she had still encouraged Scarlett to go ahead and do it despite knowing fully well that she lacked experience performing memory dives.

Would a human really risk her sanity just to get a chance to fly a spacecraft? Maybe an incredibly stupid human. Or did Mari, perhaps, actually care about Scarlett?

Before she could dwell on the topic anymore, a mess of hysterical thoughts appeared out of nowhere and Mari's mental state began to tremble uncontrollably. Her mind had been like this last night too, Scarlett realized, when she was having a nightmare. It was chaotic and intense, and fear and adrenaline were flooding the human's systems.

What the quiznak was going on here?

Suddenly, a series of flashing images and sensations emerged from the depths of Mari's mind and they instantly surged into Scarlett's head. She was looking through Mari's eyes as she was strapped to a table in some sort of lab. A woman with a crooked smile and glowing yellow eyes along with a figure in a robe and mask were asking her questions Scarlett couldn't hear. Without any warning, explosions of pain wracked her entire body, stealing the breath from her lungs and causing her muscles to convulse. The woman began talking again, her nasty grin turning gradually into an impatient scowl. Whatever she was demanding of the human, Mari was refusing to give in, and she was being punished for it. After ever inquiry she refused to answer, unbearable stabs of pain from an unknown source were inflicted upon Scarlett.

At some point, Mari lost consciousness, and an unwelcome force began trying to invade her vulnerable brain. Scarlett could feel that woman tearing through Mari's mental barriers, searching for memories, for information. It was a discomforting, evil feeling, and it made Scarlett's skin crawl.

The woman sneered, calling Mari "Champion's Kin", and a wave of dizziness washed over Scarlett just as a vial of orange liquid flashed in front of her eyes. Almost immediately, every inch of her felt like it had been set on fire, and Scarlett let out a silent scream as her flesh felt like it was burning off the bone. Then the figure in the mask began touching her body. He hit her, making her head slam into the hard metal of the table.

Scarlett wanted to cry. The onslaught of such intense pain in such a short amount of time was making her physically sick. Waves of nausea were pummeling her, and she feared she'd throw up at any moment.

She had to get out of there.

It took ever ounce of her power to pull out of the memories. Her mind was reeling, and the atmosphere was so thick it was like trying to escape a pool of sticky space goo. When she finally broke free, she gasped and frantically retreated back to the outer layer of Mari's mind.

Breathing raggedly, Scarlett blinked twice as the library slowly came back into focus. Zyron was perched on her knee, gazing up at her worriedly, and Mari had slumped over onto the floor. Her eyes were screwed shut and her breathing was uneven. Her arm was limp in Scarlett's grasp and the Utearen could feel how clammy her skin had become.

What. The quiznak. Had _that_ been? What were those hellish memories that had practically attacked her? Mari had been a prisoner on Zarkon's Central Command at one point, right? Scarlett didn't know they had tortured the girl. She didn't know Zarkon's witch had already tried to probe the girl's mind. No wonder she was afraid of Scarlett's powers.

And why had Mari passed out? No one had ever passed out before. But then again, Scarlett had never done such an intense mind-dive before. Quiznak, she knew she shouldn't have done this! What if Mari never woke up? What if she did wake up but her head and memories were all messed up? What if she couldn't even function on her own as a human being?

Quiznak, quiznak, quiznak! Shiro was totally going to kill her if he found out that she had screwed up his only sister!

"I'm a dead girl," Scarlett whimpered as her panic escalated. "What am I gonna do? Come on, think, think, stupid brain!"—she slapped her forehead twice with her free hand—"You're supposed to be a genius!"

From her knee, Zyron chittered in response, his eyes shifting between her and Mari repeatedly. Scarlett's face scrunched up at him in disbelief and she raised a doubtful eyebrow at him.

"You want me to keep looking inside her head?" she translated. "Nuh uh. No way. I've seen enough already. I'm not going back only to end up reliving her pain again."

Zyron's eyes rolled in their sockets and he chirped.

"I am not being unreasonable!" Scarlett snapped back. "What I experienced was absolutely awful! I don't want to go through that again."

The little bot seemed to scowl at her and a string of indignant beeps escaped him, making Scarlett wince and guiltily avert her gaze.

Even though she had been hiding it, Mari had been so frightened to let Scarlett inside her head. No one liked having their minds entered and their thoughts read, but now she knew why Mari hated it especially. That invasive feeling reminded her of Zarkon's witch and of her time being tortured. Was Mari reliving those memories right now? Had Scarlett's digging triggered them?

Probably.

"I know what I saw and felt doesn't compare to the pain she actually endured," she finally sighed helplessly. "But still, I—I'm scared to go back now. What if I cause more damage?"

Zyron whirled and twittered gently, reassuringly: _Finish what you started._

The Utearen looked back at her robot companion, her frown one of worry. Despite her fears, Mari had willingly wanted Scarlett to look at her thoughts and memories. She had been insistent, in fact.

 _This is the only time I'm inviting you to take a look, so make it count. Look at what I've been through, but more importantly, see what Voltron's been through. Look at what the paladins have accomplished so far, and tell me if you still trust us or not._

She glanced back at the unconscious human, uncertainty in her gaze. Maybe there was more to this than the incentive of flight lessons. Mari really wanted Scarlett to understand her. She really wanted her to understand the paladins and Voltron. Maybe she really wanted to understand Scarlett too.

 _I think we have a lot more in common than you think. Take a look for yourself if you don't believe me._

All Mari had wanted was for there to be a mutual understanding between them—they were a team and a supposed "family" now, after all. The least Scarlett could do is _try_ to fulfill her request.

Sighing, Scarlett caved.

"Fine. I'll go back in," she muttered, and she cast Zyron a glare. "I hate when you're the voice of reason."

Chirping gleefully, Zyron hopped in triumph, making the Utearen roll her eyes. Taking a deep breath to calm her nerves, she averted her attention back to the Earthling as she focused on diving into her mind once more.

Mari's psyche had calmed down much to Scarlett's relief, but the outer fringes of her mind were unnaturally dark and relatively empty. Vague feelings of confusion and fear brushed past Scarlett as she ventured deeper into the human's head, but nothing ever came to harm her. Proceeding carefully, Scarlett began to branch out and search for old memories, her movements gradual and gentle. It was tedious and painstakingly slow, but she absolutely did _not_ want to set off any more of those memories of torture. She had rushed in the first time, and now Mari's mind was so quiet…too quiet. It was making Scarlett nervous and more worried by the tick.

Finally, she found what she was looking for: Mari's memories of her childhood and memories of Voltron.

Mari had been a spritely young child, and Shiro had always been with her. Scarlett could see them singing and dancing, twirling around and laughing right alongside each other in their Earth home. Sometimes an elderly man would join them—they called him 'Ojiisan'—and he'd add to the fun. They made a food called 'egg rolls' together. They'd talk about the wonders of space and visit observatories. Mari enjoyed something called "Cadet Lunar" and would sometimes force Shiro to watch it with her. He never complained though, and he'd let her sit in his lap as they watched the colorful images flash across a screen.

Young Shiro always gave her the attention she craved. He played with her, hugged her, let her into his bed when she had a nightmare. He'd sing to her, kiss her on the top of her head and tell her that she was loved so, so much. Shiro loved Mari more than anything. He'd do almost anything for her. It reminded Scarlett a bit of Immea when she was younger, and her heart clenched painfully at the thought of her sister.

But the happy memories didn't last long. Images of Shiro in a hospital and an angry woman that slightly resembled Mari were accompanied by waves of guilt and sadness. The pain and fear only worsened as scenes of the siblings and their parents standing in a graveyard passed. Ojiisan never showed up again in the memories.

As Mari grew older, Scarlett could see the cheerful child she had once been disappearing. With each passing year, her guilt and self-hate only seemed to get worse, causing her to develop quite the temper. She had started taking martial arts classes to alleviate some of her pent up anger, and she had gotten into video games for a while. She ended up making a few good friends too, two girls names Maggie and Jia and a boy named Aaren. But her relationship with her mother remained distant, and she and Shiro weren't as close as they had been, the rift between them growing once he'd moved into the Galaxy Garrison.

When Shiro was diagnosed with some sort of disease, Scarlett could practically feel Mari's heart stop. She immersed herself in her studies and martial arts lessons, distracting herself from the fact that her family was in danger of falling apart. She still wanted to become a pilot at the Galaxy Garrison, her long-time dream the only thing keeping her together and encouraging her to move forward. Upon learning that she'd been accepted into the flight program, she was overflowing with an excitement that overshadowed her despair.

Shiro left for Kerberos. Mari studied at the Garrison for a month. An overwhelming amount of anger and sorrow washed over Scarlett as she watched Mari being given the news that Shiro had most likely died on the mission, and she was escorted out of the Garrison kicking and screaming.

Depression set in. Her parents dragged her to her brother's funeral and they buried an empty coffin. Her mother wished it had been Mari that had died instead.

A mixture of sadness, rage, guilt, and fear shook Scarlett as Mari broke down in front of Shiro's tombstone. She punched the hard block of dark marble, yelling and sobbing furiously in the quiet darkness of the graveyard. She wanted her big brother to come back. She hated her mother. She hated her current situation. She hated herself.

She had never felt so alone before.

It hurt to watch. The immense feelings of loneliness and agony that were attached to these memories were making Scarlett quiver and tear up. She had to bite her lower lip to keep herself from crying out, and she forced herself to continue in her search.

During the months before Shiro's return, Mari's mood improved slightly. She went the Garrison a few times to demand more information about the Kerberos mission, until she was eventually banned from the campus. Then she turned to watching races (the vehicles Earthlings used looked so primitive) and she even practiced for and participated in one. But on the night of that race, as she zipped along the track near canyons and a desert, she'd felt something strange. An unusual sort of energy had pulled at her, and she had been so surprised by it that she had nearly crashed her vehicle.

After that experience, Mari began searching the area, exploring the outcroppings and canyons in the desert and letting the mysterious energy guide her. Then one day, she found a hidden cave with blue lion carvings etched into the walls, floors, and ceiling. She started studying them, searching for the meaning behind them.

Then she met Keith. Irritation and suspicion sparked within Mari as she caught him watching her one day from outside of the cave, and Scarlett almost laughed as she tackled and pinned the future Red Paladin. From there, a sort of mild friendship blossomed between them as they worked together to interpret the carvings of the Blue Lion's cave.

And then Aaren, the boy from Mari's childhood, kissed her. That memory had been brief, no more than a few ticks long, as if Mari was trying to suppress and forget about it. But Scarlett had seen enough and felt enough from it to know that her feelings for Aaren had instantly shifted from 'I like you as a friend' to 'I will kill you if you ever try touching me again'.

Not long after that, Shiro returned to Earth, having been freed by Ulaz. Mari and Keith met Lance, Hunk, and Pidge as they saved Shiro from Earth scientists. The group found the Blue Lion and their epic journey into space began.

Joy and a resurgence of fear and guilt had flared anew inside of Mari upon Shiro's return. Both siblings had changed, but that didn't stop Shiro from trying to reconnect with her and make up for lost time. Mari was the one who kept pushing him away though. The walls she had spent years developing shot back up and she refused to get any closer to him and the others. She had been afraid of reconnecting, afraid that she'd hurt Shiro again or that he'd disappear.

It didn't help that feelings of inferiority and uselessly resurfaced the longer she stayed on the Castle. She lashed out at the others unnecessarily and her guilt kept building. When she fell off a cliff on Arus (due to a Putaverunt Crystal, much to Scarlett's surprise), Shiro had finally had enough and he'd held a sort of intervention. Like a bursting dam, all of Mari's pain and worries that had been eating away at her for years came spilling out of her.

The relief that followed was refreshing as it enveloped Scarlett. It was like a weight had been lifted off of her chest. The Utearen couldn't believe it: all Mari had done was _talk_ to Shiro and the others, and in doing so, so much suffering had been dispelled and replaced by love and trust and reassurance.

Growing up around Blade members, Scarlett learned that no one shared how they were feeling. Kolivan always said that missions came first, that emotions were a luxury they couldn't afford to have. Even Ulaz had rarely displayed his emotions in front of her. The first and only time he had ever told her he loved her had been right before he sacrificed himself to save Voltron.

But did sharing your feelings really improve your mental state? Did it really bring you closer to other people? The way the paladins and the rest of Team Voltron operated and interacted with each other was vastly different from the Blade of Marmora.

They were different in a good way.

But one thing was for certain: Mari had experienced a lot in her short seventeen years of life. Love, joy, sorrow, grief, loneliness, pain. _Lots_ of pain. She knew what it felt like to be alone, she knew how it felt to be disliked. She had lost loved ones and had lashed out at people. She had tried pushing people away because she was afraid of getting hurt and being abandoned. Scarlett was beginning to understand what she had meant about them being similar.

A lump had formed in Scarlett's throat and she swallowed thickly as her eyes stung. She didn't pull away though as new scenes began to materialize before her. These memories felt different from the ones before. They were warm and contained an air of excitement and awe. Then in such an abrupt shift, all the wonders and power of the legendary hero, Voltron, were put on display in front of her in all their glory.

The first time the paladins formed Voltron, they saved an entire planet from being destroyed by Sendak, one of Zarkon's commanders. Even though they were scared and had no experience working together as a team, let alone forming a giant alien robot, the paladins refused to abandon Arus and the Castle of Lions. They never backed down from facing Zarkon's forces, and in the end they prevailed easily.

When Sendak took over the Castle on Arus, Pidge won it back practically all on her own, with Mari and the space mice's help. The two girls had harbored hostile feelings for one another, but they put the fate of their team above their issues and opted to work together. They refused to surrender, no matter what. And even after capturing Sendak, the entire team refused to leave Arus until the Arusians were well taken care of and their village had been repaired.

The paladins set out to liberate an entire Balmera that had been overtaken by the Galra. The paladins worked hard to defend both the Balmera and the Castle from enemy fleets. Even Mari hadn't been sitting on the sidelines—she had destroyed fighter after fighter using a drone. But even when that battle was won, the team was thrown into another fight as some sort of robotic beast crashed into the Balmera. Voltron was becoming a better fighter as the paladins unlocked new weaponry and simultaneously protected their allies. Allura risked her life to revitalize the entire Balmera and save thousands of Balmerans.

The post-battle celebration had been full of music and laughter and happiness. Peace and life had been restored to the Balmera. For the first time in who knows how many decaphoebs, the Balmerans were free to live their lives the way they wanted to. And it was all because of Voltron.

When Allura and Mari had been captured by the Galra and the Druids, Allura had put Voltron's safety over her own. She refused to hand over the lions. She did everything she could to keep her teammates safe, but even so…

Mari was still tortured.

The image flickered and Scarlett's heart skipped a beat as she fearfully awaited the pain that accompanied these memories. But nothing happened. The flashing scenes were curt and silent and their visibility was slightly blurred. These were memories that Mari didn't want to remember, memories that she tried so hard to repress but could never get rid of. Her mind and body had been too violated for her to ever forget.

Haggar had asked her questions about the paladins and Voltron. Mari had never answered them. She had been electrocuted, poisoned, beaten, and touched intrusively. Haggar had forced her way into Mari's mind, discovering her identity but nothing more. Mari had been so, so scared and in so much pain, but even then she never let a single one of Voltron's secrets spill from her lips. She had faith that the paladins would save her and the princess.

Then Voltron did what Scarlett would have previously considered the impossible: not only did they attack Zarkon's enormous HQ head on, but they held their own against his fleets, saved Allura and Mari, _and_ they successfully escaped. What the paladins had done that day was crazy and reckless and frankly stupid. Allura and Mari weren't paladins; they weren't necessarily needed to form Voltron. But abandoning their comrades wasn't ever an option for them. Whether it was because of their bravery or strength or just pure dumb luck, the team all managed to make it out of that situation alive.

Suddenly, the picture shifted and Scarlett startled at the new images. Voltron itself was nowhere to be seen. Scenes of everyday life with the paladins surrounded her, zipping by as afterthoughts: Hunk helping Mari lift equipment and Mari suggesting they make egg rolls sometime; Hunk carrying Mari and protecting her as they ran through the Galran Central Command; Allura brushing Mari's hair before both girls flopped back against pillows and began reminiscing about home; Lance dancing around with an indignant Pidge while Keith and Mari watched from the sidelines; Lance challenging Mari to fight and promptly getting knocked on his butt with a mop; Pidge pulling Mari into her room and making her laugh by showing her a set of trash statues that shared an odd resemblance to their teammates; Keith smirking and willingly sparring with her; Keith apologizing for things that weren't his fault and returning her staff to her; Coran preparing her to enter the healing pods, his movements gentle and his expression soft and kind as he patiently listened to her and helped her get ready; Shiro scolding her for when she was in the wrong; Shiro smiling at her right before he playfully teased her; Shiro's look of utter relief when he found her in that Galra lab; Shiro holding her close and reassuring her that she was safe; everyone gathering on the observation deck and laying out pillows and blankets in front of the window before settling down to talk and gaze at the stars.

These Earthlings and Alteans couldn't be more different from one another, yet they were all so caring towards each other. They were willing to give their lives for one another. They weren't just a team: they really were a family.

Everyone was smiling and laughing and having fun in these memories as they passed the time together. It was something that Scarlett had never been able to do while living with the Blades. No matter how much tech she made for them, no matter how many years she'd spent living amongst them, she had never been fully accepted by them. Ulaz and Immea had been the only ones to treat her like family. But now that Ulaz was gone and Immea was who knows where, Scarlett would never feel like she fit in amongst the Blades of Marmora.

But maybe with Team Voltron, she could feel like she belonged. Would they really accept her? Shiro had taken her in and Allura was letting her stay on the Castle. And the others had been nice and welcoming to her (for the most part) even though she had been so rude to them. And Mari, as mean and boorish as she initially seemed, had made the effort to help her and get to know her regardless of her fears. She was turning out to be much wiser and kinder than Scarlett had ever anticipated.

Despite the trials they had faced along the way, despite the fact that the paladins still had a ways to go in their training, Mari's view of Voltron never wavered. She believed in the paladins and the power of the lions. She believed that they could and they would save the universe from Zarkon and his forces, and it filled her with the determination to keep growing and moving forward.

Voltron was a symbol of hope to her. It was a symbol of hope to the Balmerans, the Arusians, and to Ulaz.

Maybe by working with this team of heroes, Scarlett could become a part of something so much bigger than herself and a small group of rebels. Maybe she could become a part of a family. Maybe Voltron could become her symbol of hope too.

Maybe…she should give them a chance.

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 ****I do shoutouts now, so please feel free to leave a comment/review down below if you'd like to be mentioned in the next chapter! They are much appreciated & encourage me to keep writing this fic :D**

 ****Feel free to check out my tumblr too, which is pufftheninja.**


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N:** So. Sorry I've been inactive for 4 months now. Coming back to school and getting back into the swing of things was really tough for me. I've been hella busy with school work and other real life stuffs, and I had zero motivation to write. I also was really getting into musicals and working on my own art and characters for possible original stories, so I wasn't thinking about writing as much. But I realized last week that today is Mari's birthday (yay!) and I really wanted to do something to celebrate. So I kicked myself in the ass to finish this chapter and post it. I don't know when I'll be posting the next chapter, but it's coming, I swear. Hopefully summer will bring more updates.

**Shoutout to **Ishval,** **GreenLilly,** **Micheal 13,** **rinpup14,** **jackdauphinais,** and **EVERYONE ELSE I KEPT WAITING SO LONG FOR THIS CHAPTER**! Thank you so much for your patience and your comments!

 ****I do not own Voltron: Legendary Defender!**

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Cautiously prying open her eyes as she returned to the realm of consciousness, Mari was glad to see that she was back in the Castle's library again. A soft sigh of relief escaped her lips and she slowly pushed herself up off the floor into a sitting position. The minimal effort it took for her sit up was dizzying and she placed a hand on her throbbing head as if that would stop the room from spinning.

"…Are you okay?"

She hadn't noticed Scarlett kneeling next to her, watching her try to regain her bearings. The Utearen girl looked anxious, her eyebrows knit together and her hands clasped together tightly in her lap. Zyron, as usual, was perched on her shoulder, and he chirped in concern.

Mari tried to muster up a small smile, but it came out more of a grimace as she nodded briefly. "I'm fine. I've just got a little headache," she tried her best to assure them. "I've been through worse before though. This is nothing."

Scarlett squirmed a bit before saying, "I-I know. I…I saw."

"How much did you see?"

"A lot…I think I saw everything you wanted me to."

"Oh."

The two were quiet for a moment, both of them unsure of what to say next. Finally, Scarlett broke the silence between them before it could grow any more awkward.

"I won't apologize. But…I think we _can_ relate to one another. You were right in that we're similar," she stated firmly, her gaze never wavering as she looked at the human. "I still don't like Voltron or the paladins. But you guys are so different from the Blade of Marmora. Except for you and Shiro, none of you are related to each other by blood at all. Yet you still treat each other as equals and you care for each other as if you really were family. Even with a stranger like me, you guys still stubbornly accepted me and keep trying to make me feel included. I'm—I'm not used to people trying so hard to get to know me or understand me."

"I know, Scarlett," Mari said gently. "I don't know how or why, but I saw some of your memories. You endured a lot while living with the Blades."

The Utearen's teal eyes widened and her mouth opened in an 'O' of surprise, but she quickly clamped it shut. She glanced down at her hands and frowned before looking back at Mari, her cheeks turning pink in embarrassment.

"I-I dove so deep into your mind and for so long too…I guess it's possible that your consciousness could've accidentally traveled across the link established between us. I-I didn't even feel you inside of my head," she murmured and she shivered uncomfortably. "Eww that's so freaky."

"Now you know how the rest of us feel," the Earthling snorted dryly and Scarlett scowled at her. Mari's smile was quick to fade though as she continued in all seriousness, "So now you know that there's some common ground between us. We've both lost loved ones. We've felt unwanted and we know how it feels to be alone. But I don't act like a jerk because of it and wallow in my self pity—not anymore, at least. I was so close to losing myself to so much anger and hatred and guilt, but the others on this ship helped me. They made sure that I know that I can always rely on them when I'm in trouble. It's because of them that I can get up each day and keep moving forward.

"You were dealt an unfair hand in life, there's no denying that. A lot of people have hurt you and betrayed you. But just like Ulaz and Immea, there are still good people in this universe who care about you and want to be your friend. If the paladins and Allura and Coran could help me get onto the road of recovery after all those years of pain, then I think there's a good chance that they can help you too. We can protect you and help you heal. You just have to take a leap of faith and trust us, let us into your life."

Scarlett let out a soft huff of air but said nothing. She was looking at Mari through timid eyes and her lips pinched into a tight line. She squirmed a bit uncomfortably, still hesitant to accept what the human was suggesting. Running a hand through her hair, Mari hummed to herself in thought and leaned back on one hand as her gaze trailed up towards the ceiling. The holographic image of the Castle's exterior had changed above them—the celestial bodies that had surrounded Olkarion had been replaced by a new batch of stars dotting the inky blackness of space. They were no longer hovering over Olkarion's atmosphere, Mari realized, and it made her wonder how the paladins' mission had gone.

"As for Voltron, it's okay if you still don't like it," she said after a moment, diverting her attention back to the Utearen girl. "The paladins still have a long way to go in their training, but they'll get better, I'm sure of it. All I ask is that you give them a chance to prove themselves. Keep watching them grow as a team and get to know them a bit more, okay?"

Scarlett was silent for another few ticks, staring at Mari in contemplation as she mulled it over. Finally, she sighed and shifted from her kneeling position to sit cross-legged before the human.

"Okay," she finally relented. "I'll give them a chance."

Mari let out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. "So…are we good now?" she wondered hesitantly. "No more peeking into our minds without permission?"

Scarlett rolled her eyes but cracked a small smile nonetheless. "I'll try my hardest not to," she drawled. Then casting the Earthling a wry look she added, "Congratulations, I guess you'll be getting those flight lessons now. Don't screw them up."

"Fl-Flight lessons? What flight lessons?" Mari stammered, and she averted her gaze nervously as she tried to wave away the younger girl's statement. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Oh please. I saw your conversation with Shiro," Scarlett said, and she grabbed the balcony railing to pull herself up off the floor. "That's your reward for making progress with me."

"Can't get anything past you, can I?" Mari mumbled dryly and Scarlett's grin widened a bit more. "Well, at least everything turned out okay between us. "

Placing the palms of her hands flat against the floor, Mari grunted as she pushed herself up and onto her feet. Her head throbbed and her vision swam as she stood and she immediately clung to the railing for support before she could collapse. Scarlett was watching her worriedly, her arms outstretched and ready to stop the human in case she began to topple over the balcony banister.

"Are you sure you're okay?" the Utearen asked. "Maybe you should go to the infirmary."

"No. No, I'm fine," Mari quickly replied and she swallowed back the nauseous feeling in her stomach.

"You should at least lie down in your room then."

"No, no. Just give me a sec and I'll be fine."

Scarlett raised a doubtful eyebrow at the human, but didn't question her. It took Mari another minute or two for her head to stop spinning, and she took a shaky breath before standing up straighter.

"Okay…I think I'm good now," she muttered more to herself than to Scarlett, and she began to shuffle towards the staircase. "We should probably head to the bridge and see how things went on Olkarion."

"We wormholed away from the planet just before you woke up," Scarlett explained, and she glanced up briefly at the stars above them before starting after the older girl. "Their mission lasted for almost three vargas."

Mari almost fell over again. " _What?_ " she exclaimed, stopping in her tracks and whipping around to face Scarlett. "Are you saying I've been unconscious for almost _three hours_?"

"Three _vargas_ ," Scarlett corrected her.

"Whatever. Dammit, I can't believe I was out for that long."

"Why does it matter? It's not like you had anything else to do today," Scarlett huffed. "Besides, it's not like you missed anything import—"

The Castle's warning alarms cut her off, blaring over the loudspeakers and echoing off the walls in the vast space of the library. The lights flashed red above them and Mari and Scarlett exchanged fearful looks before beginning to run down the steps.

"Are we being attacked?" Scarlett wondered nervously, her voice raised so she could be heard over the sirens. "Do you think it's Zarkon?"

The tablets on the shelves rattled and the entire ship suddenly lurched forward, causing both girls to shout as they were thrown down the rest of the stairs. They landed roughly on the main floor of the library and they groaned as the ship continued to quiver and quake. Above them, the holographic stars became a blur as the Castle zipped through space to avoid fleets of Galran fighters.

"Of course. Who the hell else would be attacking us head on and out of the blue like this?" Mari grunted as they struggled to stand, and Scarlett shot her an indignant frown before they exited the library.

"It could've been space pirates," she pointed out as they ran down the hallway.

Mari cast her a skeptical look over her shoulder. "Do those really exist out here?"

"Uh, yeah? This is a lone ship flying in the middle of nowhere. It's the perfect target for pirates. I'm surprised you guys haven't encountered any yet," Scarlett said. "But then again, this ship _is_ pretty big. And word's probably spread that Voltron is back and it has an Altean support ship. And Altean vessels aren't exactly common these days."

"Guess they're smart enough to stay away from us," Mari concluded. _Good, that's fine with me. One less problem for us to deal with._

The whole way to the bridge, the Castle jolted and swerved violently, causing Scarlett and Mari to slam into one another, the walls, or the floors with every couple of steps they took. By the time they finally arrived at their destination, their hair and clothes were a mess and they were thoroughly covered in mild bruises.

"Ugh. I'm gonna be so sore tomorrow," Scarlett grumbled under her breath as they approached the bridge doors. "I wonder if—"

The doors suddenly opened and Coran shot past them, screaming and cursing as he slid along the floor on his back. The duo watched dumbfounded as he skidded all the way down to the end of the hallway until he was out of sight and his shrieks had faded into silence. A pooling trail of some sort of slick liquid had been left in his wake, and both girls cringed as they stared at it. Carefully stepping over the mysterious substance, they entered the bridge where the others were waiting.

"There you two are," Shiro said, a hint of relief in his tone. "Where were you?"

"Yeah, you missed us running for our lives from Zarkon's ships," Lance added humorlessly.

"So I've noticed," Mari replied dryly as she flattened her tousled hair. "We were in the library."

Allura glanced between Scarlett and the human worriedly. "You've been there this whole time? It's been nearly three vargas," she realized. "Is everything all right? What were you two doing there?"

"We were just…talking," Mari said nonchalantly and she nudged Scarlett knowingly. "Weren't we?"

"Yep," Scarlett nodded, her voice soft as she casually straightened her ruffled clothes. "Just talking."

Shiro raised a quizzical eyebrow and the others exchanged a look. "Talking…about what?" Lance asked suspiciously.

"Nothing you need to know about," Mari said, waving him off, and Lance made an indignant sound in the back of his throat. Before he or anyone else could interrogate her any further on the matter, she changed the subject. "More importantly, how did things go on Olkarion?" Then gesturing to the stream of the unidentifiable fluid on the floor, she said, "And what _is_ that stuff?"

"Thanks to the paladins, Zarkon's forces are no longer inhabiting Olkarion. The Olkari are free to live as they please now," Allura announced, a weak yet relieved smile forming on her face. She paused to glance at the soaked floors before adding, "And that is sweat from Coran's body. He has an Altean virus called the slipperies."

"Don't worry, it's not harmful and it won't last long," Hunk explained quickly, not missing how Scarlett had paled and Mari's face scrunched up in disgust. "It's just really gross."

"I'll say," Mari grumbled and she took another cautious step away from the trail of Coran's bodily fluids.

"But Olkarion was awesome!" Pidge piped up, whipping her head around to face the others from her Green Paladin seat. Like the other paladins, she looked fatigued, but her eyes were gleaming with an inextinguishable excitement. "The Olkari integrated plant life with technology and it was so cool! I think you would've found it interesting, Scarlett."

Scarlett shuffled anxiously from foot to foot for a moment. "Maybe you could tell me more about it sometime, Pidge," she suggested hesitantly. "I-If you want to, that is. Just so I'll be better prepared if we ever visit Olkarion again."

Pidge's jaw dropped, taken aback by the Utearen's sudden interest. Then a wide grin spread across her face and her eyes sparkled as she began to bounce in her seat. "Heck yeah! I can tell you all about it right now while it's still fresh in my mind!"

She gestured for Scarlett to come over and the younger girl beamed. As she took a seat on the chair's armrest, Pidge fervently began bringing up images and recordings from their adventure on Olkarion, rambling on about how the Olkari could turn flowers into blasters and tree bulbs into mech-suits. But before she could get too deep in her rant, Shiro quickly reeled the team back into work mode.

"We can't lose focus, everyone. Zarkon has no idea where we are right now, so this is the perfect time for us to figure out our next course of action," he decided, and there was a collective groan from the group. Ignoring it, he continued, "Maybe we can find that secret group, the Blade of Marmora. Pidge, can you find those coordinates we got from Ulaz?"

Pidge sighed loudly and pouted before looking back at their leader. "Right now?" she drawled.

Shiro blinked twice, unused to his requests being questioned. "Yes, now preferably," he replied, his voice level. "Please."

Rubbing her eyes, Pidge sat up straighter in her seat. "Sorry. Sorry, Shiro. Just…give me a sec. I'm so tired…I thought we'd finally be able to relax for a bit. It feels like my brain isn't working."

"Same with mine," Lance agreed. He rested his head against Mari's shoulder and she instantly bristled with annoyance.

"Since when does _your_ brain even work?" she scoffed and she was quick to shrug him off.

"So mean," Lance whined, rubbing the new sore spot on his noggin before relocating to Hunk's shoulder. "Scarlett seems better now, but I see you haven't changed."

"Hey, I just don't want you passing out on top of me. I'm not your personal pillow."

Before Lance could respond, the central screen flickered on, revealing a very sweaty Coran stumbling around a control room. "Hello, all. I've checked the engines," he reported.

"That was fast," Pidge noted.

"Well, I slipped right down—AHHH!" Coran disappeared briefly from view as he fell over. When he scrambled back onto his feet and reappeared in front of them, a fresh bruise decorated his forehead. "I mean, _hurried_ down," he corrected himself. "Anyway, the good news is, the Galra fighter did minimal damage. I flushed the turbine and it's fine. The bad news is, the teludav, or wormholer, as you Earthlings call it, is in bad shape. Several scaultrite lens stones of the magnifying beam generator are cracked. As you know, the magnifying beam generator uses a crystal to convert Altean energy into usable fuel. That supplies the power needed to wormhole. Well, anyway, I need to remove the cracked lenses and readjust their trajectory temporarily until we can replace them. I'll also need to divert power to make up for the lost energy. Anyway, it's going to take at least a quintant."

Frowning ever so slightly, Shiro cast a concerned glance at his worn-out team. "All right. We'll hide the ship and get some rest while Coran comes up with a work-around," he said, finally giving in to their need of a break. "Tomorrow, we'll be sharper and refocused."

Pidge's eyes instantly lit up again and she turned her attention back to Scarlett. "Sweet! I've still got a ton of other stuff to tell you," she gushed. "Oh! And I wanna show you the new feature I unlocked on my lion! C'mon, let's go down to my lab."

With Pidge in the lead, the two girls scampered towards the bridge exit. After throwing one last relieved grin Mari's way, Scarlett followed the Green Paladin through the doors and the pair disappeared down the hall.

"Scarlett seems happier," Shiro mused as his gaze fell on his sister. "What exactly _did_ you two talk about while we were gone?"

Mari shrugged. "Lots of stuff. It's nothing you need to worry about, really. But I think she'll try to be more open with us from now on. Hopefully we'll have an easier time living together on this ship." She paused for a moment before granting her brother a triumphant smirk that made a shiver run down his spine. "Well now. I believe I've fulfilled my end of the deal. We have the next day off and the area around here looks clear. I think it's about time the Garrison's best pilot pays me what he owes."

"O-Oh," Shiro stammered and a nervous chuckle escaped his lips. "You—You wanted to do that right now?"

"Yup."

"Like… _right now_ , right now?"

"Yup," Mari repeated, popping the 'p'. "Right now, right now."

"Wait, what? What are you guys talking about?" Hunk asked, his expression displaying his worry as plain as day. "What deal? What do you owe her?"

"Flight lessons. And now that the next few hours have opened up, I'm claiming my reward," Mari elaborated, flashing him a grin. "There's no going back on your word either, Takashi. You're not getting out of this."

The room went silent as the remaining paladins and Allura exchanged confused, if not concerned, glances. None of them would make eye contact with Shiro, who was now giving them pleading looks and silently begging for someone to step in and intervene.

Finally, Keith broke the silence. "Good luck," he stated solemnly despite the small and teasing smile on his face. "Don't let her kill you."

And with that, he consolingly patted Shiro on the shoulder before promptly leaving the bridge.

* * *

 ****I do shoutouts now, so please feel free to leave a comment/review down below if you'd like to be mentioned in the next chapter! They are much appreciated & encourage me to keep writing this fic :D**

 ****Feel free to check out my tumblr too, which is pufftheninja.**


	13. Chapter 13

****I do not own Voltron: Legendary Defender**

* * *

"If I'm going to teach you how to fly, you have to promise to listen carefully and do everything I tell you to. Treat this like you would any other class at the Garrison. Got it?"

Mari nodded and granted Shiro a swift if not slightly mocking salute. "Yes sir, got it."

They were in one of the Castle's hangars, standing next to an Altean transport pod. Shiro had decided that it would be best if Mari started off with a smaller ship. Besides, it wasn't like they had a variety of aircrafts to choose from; the Castle's ship arsenal was limited to just the pods and the Voltron lions.

Shiro sighed softly and uncrossed his arms, standing at full height in front of her. "Okay," he said. "Then first, I want you to close you eyes."

Mari raised a quizzical eyebrow at him and parted her lips to ask why before she quickly clamped her mouth shut and did what she was told. She didn't see what this had to do with learning how to operate a ship, but she decided not to question him. She had to listen to him if she wanted him to continue teaching her. She had to trust him—he was the best pilot at the Garrison after all. He knew what he was doing.

"Now take deep and calming breaths."

Mari obediently breathed in and out, her body relaxing as she did so. She wondered if this was some sort of ritual Shiro did before entering the cockpit of a vehicle, something to soothe the nerves and mentally prepare him for an upcoming flight.

"Good. I'm going to count down from three now. Once I'm done, open your eyes."

Mari nodded again.

"Three…two…one…lift off!"

Just as Mari opened her eyes, Shiro plucked her off the ground. Holding her by the waist with both hands, he held her up in the air and spun her around, making airplane noises as he moved. So much for taking him seriously. He really was a six year old in the body of a grown man.

"Takashi, what are you doing?" Mari shrilled, squirming in an attempt to get him to release his grip.

Shiro grinned up at her like an idiot. "I'm giving you your first flight lesson. See? Now you know what flying feels like."

"Quit joking around and put me down!"

Shiro gave her a small pout but didn't argue with her. He placed her back down on the ground and she scowled at him. "You promised. You have to actually teach me something today," she said, gesturing to the ship.

"I know, I will," Shiro said, forcing an uneasy smile. "Sorry, I'm just a bit nervous. This is your first time flying something EVER and it's with a real ship—an _alien_ ship. I feel like mom and dad when they gave us our first driving lessons."

Mari sighed and placed her hands on her hips. She supposed she couldn't blame him for feeling anxious. Underneath all her excitement, she was admittedly feeling nervous herself. Still…a promise was a promise.

"Okay, how about this: we won't actively fly or go out into space today. Lesson one will be about the basics: getting to know your aircraft," Shiro proposed. "With Zarkon following us, it's too dangerous to go outside in an unarmed ship right now anyways."

Shiro was right. Who knew when Zarkon would show up again and they'd have to flee. The last thing Mari wanted was to be stranded in a tiny Altean space pod and risk being shot down, or worse, captured by the Galra again.

"Fine with me," she finally agreed. Then moving past him, she easily pulled herself up into the cockpit of the pod and plopped onto the driver's seat. "BUT as soon as we're in the clear from the Galra, I'm flying for real. I expect you to give me proper lessons that go beyond the basics."

Shiro smiled warmly, grateful that she wasn't arguing with him. Hauling himself into the cockpit, he took the passenger's seat next to her. "It's a promise."

* * *

An hour later, Mari had learned all the ins and outs of the pod's cockpit. The Altean controls were surprisingly similar to those of the Garrison ships. And having studied those vehicles for hours on end, picking up the control layout of the alien spacecraft was a cinch for her. With the instruction Shiro provided on how to lift off and how to control the speed and the boosters, Mari was fairly certain she could successfully fly the pod out of the hangar. She wished she could actually try it to see for herself, but that would have to wait until their next lesson.

"Next time we're in a relatively safe zone, I'm taking this out for a spin," Mari stated matter of factly and she gave the side of the pod a solid pat before hopping out of the cockpit.

Shiro gave her a hesitant smile. "Of course. Just as long as I'm with you." He jumped out of the ship and landed on his feet next to her with a solid thunk. "Knowing how to operate a ship and actually flying it are more different than you think."

"I know, I know."

The duo headed towards the elevator and rode it up to the top floor. Just as they stepped out into the hallway and began heading towards the main deck, the Castle quivered and the warning alarms were set off. Shiro and Mari exchanged startled looks before they sprinted down the halls towards the control deck.

Inside, Allura was standing at the helm. Swarms of Galra fighters flew in front of the windows, pelting the castle ship's particle barrier with laser blasts. Another large explosion shook the Castle to its core and the three of them stumbled to regain their balance.

"Zarkon…How did he find us so quickly?" Shiro furrowed his brow and grit his teeth as he hurried to take his seat at his station, leaving Mari to hover behind Allura's platform.

"I don't know. Even with the damaged teludav, we still travelled several galaxies away from him…" Allura admitted, her expression a mixture of confusion and anger. "I don't understand."

The door to the main deck slid open again as the remaining paladins ran to their assigned stations. Pidge looked tired and frazzled as she hopped into her seat. Hunk was wearing an apron, having been working in the kitchen presumably. Lance and Keith on the other hand were wet and wearing nothing but swim trunks with towels hanging around their necks.

"They found us again?" Lance exclaimed, nearly slipping off his chair as he sat down. "How is that possible? Is that possible? That doesn't seem possible!"

"I don't know," Allura reiterated once more. "But right now, we must figure out a way to get out of here. Coran, what's our status?"

Coran's face immediately appeared on the main screen, his entire person still drenched with moisture from his slipperies. Behind him, Scarlett was working away at one of the control panels.

"Princess! Wormholing will be a problem. The lenses haven't been readjusted! I don't know if the teludav will generate enough power," he relayed nervously.

"Do everything you can!" Allura instructed, and both her advisor and the Utearen nodded in confirmation.

"Already on it!" Scarlett informed them, her fingers flying across her screens. The ship shook violently again with another strong explosion, causing Coran to slip and crash into her. She yelped in pain as they were thrown to the floor and her features contorted in disgust as his sweat dribbled onto her clothes and hair.

"Actually, Pidge, we could use your help down here," she added, shoving an apologetic Coran off of her. "I'm still getting used to all this Altean tech and it's really hard to concentrate with Coran's… _fluids_ leaking everywhere."

Pidge looked like she was about to be sick. Swallowing thickly, she steeled herself "Okay. I'm on my way down."

"Thank you, Pidge!"

Shutting off her screens, the Green Paladin quickly rose to her feet and began heading for the door. "Mari, can you come down with me? We might need the extra hands."

* * *

 ****Feel free to check out my tumblr for OC and fan art: pufftheninja**


	14. Chapter 14

Pidge and Mari almost slipped and fell as they entered the teludav turbine room. Trails of Coran's sweat lined the floors and moisture covered nearly every inch of the control panels. Both girls grimaced in dismay, but neither said a word about it; they had bigger problems than the symptoms of Coran's slipperies to deal with.

"What can we do to help?" Pidge asked, grabbing Coran's attention.

"Help us divert power," he instructed, nodding to the unoccupied control panel behind him for Pidge to access. "Number Five, slide me to that monitor! And wipe my sweat!"

Mari internally groaned but didn't hesitate to do as she was told. Coran's body felt oddly warm and slimy as she uselessly swiped at the thick layer of sweat blanketing his entire person. She was so going to take a shower after all this.

"Haha you get the gross job," Scarlett teased, her concentration never breaking as she worked effortlessly over her panel.

"Shut up, midget."

Through the screen connecting them to the main deck, they could hear Lance startle as his controls for his drone shut down and disappeared. "What's going on? I lost control of my defense drone!"

"I got you covered!" Keith promised him, only for his drone to shut down too. "Uh, I don't got you. There must be a system failure."

"Nope, that was us!" Pidge quickly assured them, glancing up from her work briefly to explain. "We're diverting power from non-essential systems to get the wormhole generator working."

"Shooting bad guys is pretty essential!" Lance shrilled incredulously.

"To that end panel! …Now back to this one! …To the far left monitor!" Mari continued to push Coran back and forth throughout the room, his slippery state allowing him to skate effortlessly and much quicker from station to station. The constant movement, increasing heat of the turbine, and the effort of keeping Coran standing and in place at each control panel was making Mari sweat herself. Although, she hardly noticed the results of her own exertion what with Coran's excessive perspiration already dampening her clothes. Yeah, she was _definitely_ taking a shower after this.

"We lost secondary controls! Thermal regulator's offline! Oh no, there goes the particle barrier!" Hunk fretted as Coran shut down each system one by one.

With a final flip of a switch, the teludav was finally ready. "Okay, try it!" Coran spoke to the princess. "We should be able to make one very small jump…I hope."

On another monitor, they watched the teludav flicker to life as Allura activated it with Altean energy.

"Is it gonna hold?" Pidge asked worriedly and Coran's hesitant frown deepened.

"I guess we're about to find out," he answered, and Pidge and Scarlett shared nervous glances just as the room was engulfed in the teludav's brilliant blue-white light.

The high whine of its lasers filled the air and they could vaguely hear Shiro's voice over the speakers confirming that a wormhole had successfully opened. The Castle's quivering ceased as they entered the wormhole, escaping the chaos of battle. Suddenly, a series of sharp cracking sounds emitted from the interior of the machine and the light from the teludav died down. On screen, the group could see the already damaged lenses cracking and even shattering as they took on more damage from the lasers. The whirring of their wormholing machine instantly faded as the teludav shut down and a fresh wave of worry crossed over Coran's features.

"Oh, no! The lenses are breaking down even more!" he groaned. "We'll be out of the wormhole even sooner this time!"

As if on cue, the ship shook again, indicating that they were exiting their short-lived wormhole. Then the Castle was still as everyone took a few moments to breathe and calm their racing hearts.

The silence was broken as their link to the bridge reconnected and Shiro's face popped up on screen in front of them.

"Coran, what's our status?" he asked. Despite the steadiness of his voice, he looked tired and troubled. "Any good news?"

"Well, I think I'm finally getting used to these slipperies," Coran admitted. He could stand on his own now without someone needing to hold him upright at least. "You know, it's rather fascinating actually. My mucus glands are working at an incredible rate!"

"As you can see here by this mess," Pidge noted as she gestured unenthusiastically to the puddles all over the floor.

Shiro's brow furrowed in mild annoyance. "Any good news about the _teludav_?" he reiterated.

Coran seemed to deflate a bit and he shook his head solemnly. "I'm afraid not. The last jump overloaded the lens stones. Now, even more of them are broken. I'm going to try some readjustments to change the beam trajectory," he explained, already moving to adjust the settings on the control panels. "Until then, wormholing away will be impossible."

"So we're sitting ducks for now," Mari sighed and Pidge frowned and she typed away at her monitor.

"Actually…there's a giant metallic storm ahead of us," she said, bringing up an exterior image of the castle-ship on her screen to display the turmoil raging outside. "I think we can hide in the eye of the storm. It should give off enough interference so we can't be tracked."

"It's worth a shot," Shiro affirmed and Allura skillfully piloted the Castle into the eye of the storm. The ship trembled as they hovered amongst the rushing wind and hurtling debris of the storm.

"Perfect. Brilliant, Pidge," Allura beamed in relief on screen. "We're essentially invisible to any radar, radio waves, universal scans, or any other known technology."

No sooner had she spoken did the warning alarms go off again. Zarkon's central command ship and his fleets had appeared overhead, trapping them inside the storm.

"Quiznak, quiznak, quiznak!" Scarlett cursed and she nearly flung herself on top of her controls again as she hurried to help Coran with the adjustments.

"Okay," Pidge squeaked in fear. "I don't know how he found us, but it definitely _wasn't_ with normal instruments!"

Not with normal instruments…but maybe with magic? Mari's stomach did a flip and her heart nearly skipped a beat. Haggar…Haggar had to be behind this. It was the only way, right? How else could Zarkon keep finding them if he wasn't using standard tracking technology? Were Haggar and her henchmen even capable of using magic to track a remote target? Even if they weren't connecting to the Castle of Lions itself, they definitely had some sort of link with something on the ship. There were the lions, with Zarkon having played a crucial role in their past. And there was Shiro, who had Galra technological attached to his body and connected to his nervous system. Then there was Allura, the last of her kind and a magic-wielding being herself. And then there was Mari, who had been Haggar's most recent victim of torture and mind invasion.

What if while Haggar had been probing Mari's mind the witch had planted something deep within her psyche? Like some sort of magical tracker. The thought of that possibility made Mari's head swim and she leaned against the closest control board to steady herself. Pidge blinked at her in surprise, concern evident in her eyes.

From on screen, Allura had averted her gaze downwards to stare guiltily as her feet. "It's me. It's been me all along," she said, her line of thinking similar to Mari's. "That's how they found us on planet Arus."

Shiro shook his head, refusing to let their team get distracted on the path of blame. "It doesn't matter, Princess," he said, encouraging her to focus. "We're in this together. We're gonna get out together."

"Uh, how? We're trapped," Hunk wondered.

"We need to form Voltron and go through the storm."

"The storm?" Lance interjected, springing from his chair. "What are you, nuts?!"

"Yeah! W-Wh-What do you mean?" Hunk stammered angrily, his voice trembling with hysteria. "Yeah, why—why would we do that?"

"It's risky, I know," Shiro stated firmly, trying hard to calm his team. "But it's our only chance. We have to go through the storm, then lure Zarkon's ship away, giving Allura some time to get into open space."

"Then what?" Allura inquired.

"Then we wormhole away," Shiro answered, and he turned to face the teludav turbine team. "Coran, remember how you said getting this Castle to wormhole is impossible? Well, I need you to do the impossible."

* * *

With Pidge gone to help the others pilot Voltron and ward off Zarkon's fleet, Coran, Scarlett, and Mari were left to deal with the teludav. Well, more like just Coran and Scarlett—with her inadequate tech skills and lack of knowledge on the Altean technology in general, Mari couldn't be of much help.

"How's it coming down there?" Allura asked from on screen, unable to mask the nervousness in her tone.

"In order for this to work, each remaining lens stone will need to take the equivalent of five beams!" Coran relayed, worriedly glancing back at the teludav entrance to mentally re-count the damaged stones. "There's no way it can hold that kind of power! The whole thing will explode!"

"There must be something we can do!" Allura insisted.

"We've calculated every possible new laser trajectory we could use in order for this to work, but we always come up short a few lenses," Scarlett huffed in frustration. "I've checked and double checked every possibility, but there's just no way to do this without blowing up the entire ship."

Allura bit her lip in vexation before diverting her attention back to Voltron. Her eyes lit up briefly as she realized the paladins were successfully luring the massive Galran HQ and its fleets away from the top of the storm. The opening of the eye was clear for them to escape through.

"Everybody hold on!" Allura warned as she fired up the Castle's thrusters. "Here we go!"

The trio clung to their nearest control board as the ship lurched forward and shot out of the storm. The Castle veered to the left, circling back around to Zarkon's ship where Voltron was struggling to escape his grasp. Allura instantly laid on the fire power, firing the Castle's canons and landing direct hits on the enemy's main ship.

"Paladins, now's your chance! Get out of there!" she ordered, never letting up on her barrage of attacks until Voltron had disbanded and the lions had returned to their hangars.

"Why haven't we wormholed yet?" Keith practically barked out the question in his irritation.

"We can't!" Coran and Scarlett shot back in unison, just as exasperated as him.

"We're missing several scaultrite lens stones!" Coran elaborated. "They've shattered! Gone! Don't exist! Sloven-day-ho! That's Altean for 'gone'."

"Wait, did you say scaultrite? I've seen that somewhere before. I think Hunk was making some terrible cookies from that stuff!" Pidge piped up, followed by an offended growl from the Yellow Paladin.

Scarlett's antennae perked up in interest and Coran's eyes widened with hope. "Paladins! Bring those cookies here as quickly as possible!" he exclaimed. "I have an idea!"

The paladins wasted no time in meeting the trio in the teludav turbine room, with a pile of the "cookies" in question cradled in Hunk's arms. At first glance, they looked almost exactly like the teludav lenses: circular in shape, blue tinted, and made of translucent glass-like material.

"Unbelievable! These cookies do have trace elements of scaultrite," Coran mused as he read over the results of their scan. He held up one of the "cookies" to get a closer look at it, allowing the overhead lights to shimmer over the shiny surface.

"Could they work?" Shiro asked, squinting skeptically at it.

"They might be able to hold for one jump, but we'd still need several people actually physically holding them," Coran concluded and looks of dread and fear instantly crossed over each of the paladins' faces. "And, if the trajectories were calculated just so."

"Already on it," Scarlett chirped, swiftly traveling from monitor to monitor to configure a new path for the teludav's lasers. Hardly five seconds later, she was finished and Coran confirmed the adjusted pattern. The anxious paladins practically had to be herded into the teludav and Coran quickly put them into position with the scaultrite cookies.

"Mari, you uh, you sure you don't wanna be a part of this? I'd be happy to switch places," Lance offered nervously, unable to look back at her in his position in the teludav.

Mari stared at him for a moment: he was the closest of the paladins to where the laser would emit and he was hanging upside down by his legs with each arm positioned just so so that the lasers would hit the cookies he held in each hand. It looked incredibly uncomfortable. And dangerous.

"No, I'm good," she assured him, deadpan, and a small whimper escaped his lips.

"It just warms my heart that people are enjoying my cookies," Hunk smiled warmly to himself, ever so wholesome even during times of extreme danger.

"Okay, there," Coran said as he placed the final cookie between Hunk's feet. He skillfully slid out of the turbine and advised, "Now, nobody move if you want to live."

The Castle rumbled from another enemy explosion, causing the whole room to shake.

"I think I moved! I think I moved!" Lance shrieked.

"Well, then move back to where you think you were!" Coran replied before turning towards the control panels. "Okay, now, I'm going to monitor the beam from out here."

"Wait, Coran! How dangerous is this?" Hunk called out, stopping him before he could leave.

His back to the paladins, the older Altean hesitated for a moment before saying in all seriousness, "Honestly, this is the most dangerous thing I've ever seen. Or heard of. But since we're probably going to die anyway, WHAT THE HECK! LET'S GIVE IT A SHOT!" He spun on his heel and began to shut the turbine door. "Good luck, gentlemen. And gentlelady. It's been a pleasure," he said, giving the paladins a salute. "Don't touch the lasers!"

As soon as the door slid solidly shut, Coran hurried back towards the control boards. "They're in position!" he informed the princess, and she nodded in confirmation from her place at the helm.

The teludav glowed as it whirred to life with Altean energy, and Coran, Scarlett, and Mari watched in anticipation as the laser beams fired. On screen they could see and hear Lance screaming in panic from within the turbine chamber, but he did well not to move from his position. The first beams bounced perfectly off of the first few lenses, but as soon as they hit the first scaultrite cookie they immediately died out.

"It's not working!" Coran shrilled and Mari and Scarlett let out horrified groans of their own.

"Coran, what's happening?" Allura asked, her terrified gaze taking over the monitor. "Zarkon's right on top of us!"

"The stones aren't reflecting properly!" Coran realized. "We need something to shine them up!"

Scarlett looked Coran up and down, his body still slick with clear and shiny sweat. "Well! Time to put your disgusting fluids to good use, Coran!" she exclaimed, opening the teludav chamber and gesturing for him to enter. "Go and shine those stones!"

"I'm on it!" he grinned in agreement. "Allura, hit the wormhole in ten ticks! Scarlett, make the lasers go through! Mari, shut the door!"

Allura's countdown began and Coran skated into the chamber, wielding bubbles of slippery fluid. As Mari shut the door behind him, she could hear the paladins wondering what was going on.

"What's happening?"

"No one move! I've got to shine these stones! Good thing I've got a case of the slipperies!"

The door slid close once more and Mari met Scarlett at the control panel. With racing hearts and bated breath, they watched as Coran flew from paladin to paladin, shining their stones with astounding speed and precision as the seconds passed. One un-shined stone was left—the one perched between Hunk's feet—and Allura had reached the end of the countdown. The teludav was fired up again and Scarlett gasped as the flurry of lasers began to bounce off the lenses.

"It's working, it's working…but Coran is so dead!" Scarlett squealed in fear, but she was unable to peel her eyes away from the sight unfolding before them.

The duo held their breath as Coran abruptly hurled himself towards the last stone. He slid his face against the dull surface, allowing the copious amounts of sweat covering his skin to transfer to the scaultrite cookie and shine it just milliseconds before the laser hit it. The momentum of Coran's leap threw his body into the wall, squeezing him in between the lenses embedded in the sides of the chamber and keeping him out of the range of the beams. The paladins screamed as the laser completed its path, engulfing them in a searing hot white light.

The feed from one of the Castle's exterior cameras appeared on screen, revealing that a wormhole had successfully been opened and they were flying straight through it. Mari took several shaky breaths in an attempt to calm her erratic heartbeat, and Scarlett sank to the floor, her knees weak with relief. They had successfully made a full jump and were traveling galaxies and galaxies away, far from Zarkon's reach. They were safe for now.


	15. Chapter 15

****I do not own Voltron: Legendary Defender**

* * *

"There's no point in debating this further. Zarkon is clearly tracking us through me."

It was the following evening of their latest escape from the Galra, and after a full day of rest and repairs Team Voltron was ready to discuss their next plan of action. The group had gathered at the bridge, listening as Allura shared her worries.

"Aww, space baloney," Lance tried to assure her.

"That's not possible," Pidge agreed as the others nodded.

"Why would that be so hard to believe?" Allura demanded, her tone frustrated with their lack of understanding. "Zarkon's forces showed up on Arus only after I awoke."

"She's got a point. I would absolutely travel across the galaxy to find you," Lance beamed as he gave her a little bow. But his attempts at flirting did nothing to assuage her anxieties.

"You have to consider the in between stuff that's happened since then, princess," Scarlett piped up gently and Zyron chirped from his perch on his creator's shoulder. "A lot has happened to you all since you left Arus."

"Yeah, yeah. We've had a lot of encounters with the Galra and the robeasts since then, right? Plus there was, you know, the recent, um… _incident_ at the space hub…" Hunk pitched in, glancing nervously Mari's way before quickly continuing. "My–My point is! We don't know when or how the Galra could've tagged us."

Mari grimaced and dug her hands deeper into her jacket pockets. She'd been on edge ever since her realization that the Galra could've been using magic to track them. The idea of there being something inside of her, revealing their every move to the Galra and betraying their hidden location, made her stomach churn with fear and guilt.

As if he sensed how she was feeling, Shiro put his real hand on his sister's shoulder and gave it a reassuring squeeze. His presence grounded her, preventing her from spiraling into a sea of suffocating flashbacks and memories. It was bad enough that she had nightmares of her time in Haggar's lab almost every other night in the privacy of her room; she absolutely did _not_ want to have a break down in front of the others. She cast her brother a grateful look and Shiro replied with a small smile.

"It's not you, Princess Allura. Or Mari…It's me."

Everyone was surprised as Keith spoke and they looked up at him with skepticism. Being the lone wolf that he is, he was standing outside their little circle, leaning against the Red Paladin chair with his arms crossed defensively over his chest.

"…Because?" Hunk broke the awkward silence that had settled over them as they awaited Ketih's explanation.

"I just think—I mean, Zarkon must've imprinted on me during our fight or something," Keith replied lamely, sounding caught off guard and unusually nonchalant.

Everyone stared at him for a moment longer, not missing how he refused to meet anyone's gaze.

"Okay, look. The fact is, we don't know how Zarkon is tracking us," Pidge said, steering their conversation back on course. "For all we know, it could be through the Black Lion. Every time Zarkon gets close to it, Shiro has to fight him for control."

"But that's only when Zarkon is nearby," Coran countered. "No paladin has ever been able to connect with a lion over a vast distance."

"So what are we going to do?" Hunk asked the question that was on all their minds.

The group looked to Shiro for direction. He'd been quiet thus far, having patiently watched and listened to everyone's input before deciding what to say. Sighing softly to himself, he finally spoke. "Look, it doesn't matter how he's tracking us because we're gonna take the fight to the Galra soon enough. They've been chasing us from galaxy to galaxy. The last thing they expect is for us to come after them."

"Ah so the hunter becomes the hunted, hmm?" Lance mused, another grin lighting up his face. "Awesome! That's the tag line from like six of my favorite movies."

"Actually, as it happens, I took our list of recent Galra attacks and analyzed it for both commonalities and anomalies among the attack sites," Pidge stated matter-of-factly. She had moved to her seat and was crunching numbers on her monitors. "I was hoping to create an algorithm that would, within a statistically acceptable margin of error, provide a list of target-rich Galra environments, color-coded, of course, because what are we, animals?"

The Green Paladin activated the bridge's room-wide holographic system and a glowing star map filled the room for everyone to see.

"Cool!" Lance exclaimed. "…What is it again?"

"It's a Galra finder?" Hunk shrugged.  
"Well, 'finder' suggests that it locates the Galra, whereas it would be more accurate to say that my model predicts their likeliest—" Pidge's scientific rant was cut short as she was met with seven confused looks. The only one who seems to understand her jargon was Scarlett, who was nodding vigorously for her to continue. Huffing in defeat, Pidge relented so the others would understand. "Fine. It's a Galra finder."

"So, where are the Galra?" Lance wondered, and Pidge highlighted a spot on the map.

"The nearest ones are right here. A planet called Taujeer."

"Then that's where we're headed," Shiro decided. "Everyone should get some sleep. Tomorrow, we'll find that Galra fleet and take it out."

As everyone dispersed to head their separate ways for the night, Mari pulled Scarlett to the side in the hallway.

"Scarlett, when you were looking inside my head the other day, did you…did you see or feel anything weird?" she asked the Utearen, keeping her voice low just in case anyone else was still within hearing range.

"Besides your depressing backstory and childhood? No," Scarlett answered and Mari gave her an unamused look.

"I meant anything foreign. Like something that shouldn't be inside a human's mind."

The younger girl thought for a moment. "Hmm…No, I don't think so."

"Could you possibly, um…check again?"

Scarlett frowned and looked at the Earthling through concerned eyes. "Don't tell me you think you're responsible for Zarkon finding us too," she said.

"I—Well…Maybe," Mari stammered, and when Scarlett sighed she quickly added, "This is serious, Scarlett! You saw what Haggar and her cronies did to me. She could've used magic or whatever to plant something inside my head! If anyone's being tracked, it's me."

"Mari, it's okay."

"But what if—" Mari's voice trailed off, unable to find the right words to convince Scarlett. She dragged a tired hand down her face and Scarlett huffed. She placed a hand on the human's arm and closed her eyes, her antennae glowing softly.

"I dove pretty deep into your psyche last time and I didn't find anything out of place there," she tried to convince the anxious Earthling. "Even now I can't see a single trace of druid magic anywhere. No trackers either."

Scarlett removed her hand and the duo locked eyes again. Despite her double check of Mari's mind, Scarlett could tell the human was still unconvinced. "Look, you're freaking yourself out. I promise you're fine," she said, mustering a small smile. "Let's just listen to Shiro and not worry about it. Get some sleep and you'll feel better. Okay?'"

* * *

Mari couldn't sleep. Every time she closed her eyes and started to drift off she was plagued by reoccurring nightmares of Haggar tearing her body open and cackling as Mari screamed for help. She hated how long the memories of Haggar had been haunting her, still striking fear into her heart despite having escaped from the witch days ago. And now all this talk about trackers and Zarkon finding them was making Mari even more paranoid and susceptible to nightmares. She wondered when or if the trauma would ever fade.

 _This is ridiculous_ , she thought angrily to herself as she laid awake in bed. Her heart was still racing from the torture dream and cold sweat dampened her skin. Her throat was parched and she swallowed thickly.

Her irritation (and thirst) substituting for the courage she currently needed to venture out into the dark hallways, Mari rolled out of bed and slid into her slippers. She shuffled down the halls towards the kitchen, where she flicked on the lights and grabbed a cup from the cabinets to pour herself a glass of water. She sipped from the cup quietly, relishing how nice the cold water felt as it ran down her throat.

 _It's okay. You're okay_ , she repeated to her self soothingly as her heart beat calmed. _There's nothing to be—_

The sudden sound of footsteps nearly made her spit out her drink, she was so startled. Who else was up at this hour?

Curious, she set down her cup and cautiously peeked out of the kitchen. Through the dimly lit halls, she could just barely make out a blur of white and red as it rounded the corner. She knew Keith was an early riser, but _this_ early? And what was he doing in his paladin armor?

Tiptoeing after him, Mari followed the Red Paladin to one of the Castle's Altean transport pod hangars. In the slightly brighter lighting, she realized that he had a packed duffle bag slung over his shoulder.

Was…Was Keith _leaving_?

"What are you doing?" she blurted out without even thinking and Keith startled, whipping around instantly to face her.

"Mari! You—What? Uh…nothing," Keith fumbled to form an explanation.

"…I call bullshit."

"Well what are you doing here?" Keith fired back, trying to divert the attention away from himself.

"I was getting a drink when I heard you stomping around!" Mari snapped in response. "What's your excuse? Are you going somewhere?"

Before he could answer, the hangar doors opened again and Allura stepped inside, donned in her space suit.

"Oh," she practically squeaked when her eyes landed on the pair that were already occupying the hangar. "Um…H-Hello you two. I didn't think anyone else was awake."

"Princess, what are you doing here?" Keith asked, even more confused now that another unexpected third member had entered their strange little midnight gathering.

"I…might ask you the same thing," Allura replied somewhat defensively.

"I, uh, was just…taking a walk," Keith provided. "Late at night. Near the…pods."

"In full Paladin armor, with a bag of your belongings?" Allura raised an eyebrow at him.

"…Yes."

"Wow. You are a terrible liar," Mari observed dryly and Keith sighed, giving up.

"Okay, fine," he relented. "I…I have to know if Zarkon is tracking me. This is the only way. Don't try to stop me."

Mari looked to Allura, waiting for the princess to protest and shut him down on the spot. Instead, Allura's eyes gleamed with relief and she nodded in understanding.

"I'm not going to stop you, Keith," she promised. "I'm going to join you."

"You can't be serious, Allura!" Mari exclaimed in disbelief. "This is dangerous! Without you guys here, the Castle is practically defenseless."

"We won't be gone forever…hopefully. Besides, the lions can protect the Castle. And Coran knows how to fire the cannons," the princess tried to persuade her.

"But we won't have Voltron or a surefire route of escape if we need one. C'mon guys, we're going on a mission tomorrow. We need you here," Mari pleaded.

Allura looked conflicted and she glanced at Keith for help. His eyes narrowed ever so slightly as he stared at Mari.

"I know you've been thinking about this too," he said and didn't miss how she stiffened. "You're worried that Zarkon's been tracking us through you, right? Because of what happened with you and his witch."

Mari squirmed uncomfortably under his gaze and she indignantly folded her arms. Keith was playing dirty and he knew it. It indicated that he was desperate to go through with this. He needed to know the truth.

Picking up on where Keith was going with this, Allura began to pitch in. "Don't you want to know for sure how Zarkon is finding us? I know it must be bothering you too. It's been keeping me up all night."

Mari could feel herself caving. Their offer was so tempting. Even if she was the one Zarkon and his lackeys were tracking, she'd get peace of mind learning the truth and knowing how they could proceed in their fight against the Galra. If she agreed to do this, maybe her nightmares would stop too.

…God what was she thinking?! No, no this was a bad idea! A very stupid and reckless idea. Mari couldn't leave and she couldn't let Allura and Keith leave. They had to trust that everything would be okay and that finding the source of the tracking didn't matter.

Taking a deep breath to steady herself, Mari granted Keith and Allura a friendly smile. "I'm telling Shiro."

Mari only caught a glimpse of the look of absolute distress that crossed over Keith's face before spinning on her heel and making a beeline for the hangar doors. That's right, she'd brought out the big guns. It always felt weird calling her brother by his nickname, but playing the "Shiro" card rather than the "Takashi" card always seemed to have a bigger effect on people. And while Allura respected the Black Paladin and considered themselves equal in terms of team authority and ranking, Mari knew Keith practically placed Shiro on a pedestal. He always listened to Shiro, always worried about him in a battle, always made sure he was okay. The two had an undeniable bond. And she was exploiting Keith's love and great respect for her brother, yeah. But it was the only thing she could think of doing that would potentially convince him to stay. Besides, if Keith wanted to play dirty, Mari sure as hell was gonna play dirty too.

It was hard to run in slippers, and Mari furiously kicked them off her feet as she ran for safety. She could hear Keith behind her, having already snapped out of his shock and quickly closing the space between them. She was only a few steps away from the door when he plowed into her, tackling her from behind and pinning her to the floor. Dammit. She should have thought through her plan of escape a little better.

"Get off of me!" she squealed, struggling uselessly beneath him.

"No! You can't tell Shiro!" Keith insisted and it almost sounded like he was pleading.

"I'm not letting you run off like an idiot!"

"And I'm not letting you run off to tell him!"

"He's not stupid! He's gonna find out that you two ran off."

Keith grimaced but made no move to release her. "Yeah. But at least this way he'll find out later rather than right now. We still have time to put enough distance between us and the Castle."

Allura hurried to his side and knelt down next to them, her eyes shifting back and forth in between them in her confliction. "I'm so sorry, Mari," she apologized. "But I've made up my mind and I agree with Keith. We can't keep you in the hangar all night so…I'm afraid you'll be coming with us."

* * *

 ****Feel free to check out my tumblr for OC and fan art: pufftheninja**


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